Hollins University is among the more than 300 “best and most interesting” four-year schools in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland according to the 2025 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
Created more than 40 years ago by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the Fiske Guide to Colleges is updated annually and features lists of strong programs and popular majors at each college; financial aid stats and acceptance rates; academic, social, and quality-of-life ratings; and indexes that break down schools by state, price, and average debt.
In its profile of the university, Fiske quotes a Hollins senior who says, “A student should only attend Hollins if they want to be part of a close-knit community that fosters creative minds and ambitious spirits.”
The guide states that “academics are the priority at Hollins. Students leave with confidence, critical thinking skills, and intellectual depth, thanks to a solid grounding in the liberal arts.” Fiske also notes that “professors are well regarded.”
“We get lots of individual attention and extra help,” one student explains, while an environmental science major describes the opportunity to work with professors outside the classroom and in the field as “invaluable.”
A sophomore adds that at Hollins, “students are opinionated, passionate, and driven” but also supportive of one another.
The website CollegePlannerPro calls Fiske a “highly respected resource for students and their families and counselors as they navigate the college search and application process.”
