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Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) continues to climb the rankings in multiple categories according to the 2020 edition of The Princeton Review’s Best Value Colleges.

Published on Feb. 4, the guide ranks Hampden-Sydney No. 2 for Best Alumni Networks, up from No. 4 in 2019, and No. 14 for Best Schools for Internships, up five spots from last year.

For the first time, Hampden-Sydney was also named among the Top-25 Best Schools for Making an Impact, which measures community service opportunities, student government and on-campus student engagement.

“These rankings underscore the enduring value of a Hampden-Sydney education,” H-SC President Dr. Larry Stimpert said. “The success our alumni find in life and the pride they feel for this college and for each other are a testament to the quality of both our academic experience and dedicated faculty and staff members.”

He added the college is also grateful for the efforts of Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Cameron Marshall and his team members, who have hosted more than 100 alumni events around the country over the past year.

“The energy and enthusiasm of Hampden-Sydney alumni is resounding,” Marshall said. “We are thrilled about The Princeton Review’s recognition of the strength of our network.”

Princeton Review editors also praised Hampden-Sydney’s academic offerings, noting the college’s required Rhetoric Program provides Olympic-level training in writing and speech, and the interdisciplinary Core Cultures program ensures students learn about the past from both a Western and a global cultures perspective.

Hampden-Sydney students surveyed by the editors agree, calling the college’s curriculum “dynamic yet traditional,” calling H-SC professors “nothing short of excellent” and calling the student body “a brotherhood rather than a group of peers.”

Only 7% of the nation’s four-year colleges were named a 2020 Best Value College, offering students a superb education with excellent career preparation at an affordable price, according to The Princeton Review.

The company based its rankings on data collected from surveys of administrators at 656 colleges, surveys of students attending the schools and PayScale. com surveys of those schools’ alumni about salary figures and job satisfaction. More than 40 data points were used to determine the colleges’ Return-on-investment (ROI) ratings, including academics, cost, financial aid, graduation rates, student debt and alumni career data.

“We are proud that The Princeton Review recognizes the exceptional return on investment our students receive with a Hampden-Sydney degree,” Stimpert said.

Hampden-Sydney was also featured in The Princeton Review’s Best 385 Colleges: 2020 Edition, released in August 2019. The edition names Hampden-Sydney’s Bortz Library the fifth-best college library.