About

About Sweet Briar College

womens collegeliberal arts collegesmall class sizesarts and sciences focus

Sweet Briar College is a private liberal arts college in Sweet Briar, VA, known for its small class sizes and arts and sciences focus. With an acceptance rate of 76%, Sweet Briar is accessible for most qualified applicants, typically enrolling around 154 students each year. Sweet Briar is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1120–1380, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. Sweet Briar offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $13,211 per year; the sticker price of $41,110 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

Sweet Briar College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

accessible for most qualified applicants

76%
Overall Accept Rate
3.50
Typical Admitted GPA
1250
Median Admitted SAT
GPATypical admitted range: 3.25 – 4.00 unweighted

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SATSubmitted score range: 1120 – 1380 (test optional)

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Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Sweet Briar College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
Sweet Briar has a distinctive mission centered on women's leadership and liberal arts education in a residential community, so use your essays to directly connect your goals to that environment rather than writing a generic personal statement that could apply anywhere.
Extracurriculars
Sweet Briar has one of the few college equestrian programs in the country and sits on over 3,000 acres of Virginia land, so if you ride or have a passion for the outdoors, make sure those activities appear prominently in your application because they align directly with campus life there.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Sweet Briar College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceAvg. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$41k/yr$11.7k
30k-48k~$41k/yr$12.6k
48k-75k~$41k/yr$15.2k
75k-110k~$41k/yr$20.2k
110k+~$41k/yr$24.7k

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Personalize this page

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

48%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$36k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
8:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
420
Undergrad Enrollment

Student Body

Student body composition

Race & Ethnicity

70%White
9%International
8%Black / African American
6%Hispanic
3%Asian
2%Unknown / Unreported
1%American Indian / AK Native
1%Two or More Races
0%Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
Gender0% Men · 100% Women
Citizenship / Immigration Status91% Citizens and Immigrants · 9% International
Sweet Briar, Sweet Briar Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch