The power of five.
Every year, thousands of students from across the Five Colleges freely cross-register for courses at partner institutions
Hampshire’s founders were leaders from Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They set out to create a lab of an undergraduate institution, experimenting with how a college could be a more effective intellectual and moral force in the world. Part of the plan: share the resources of all five schools. They’re vast. They’re right here. And they’re yours.
One of the country's most exciting and active educational collaborations, the consortium enables our students to enjoy:
Expanded course options: more than 5,300 from which to choose
One of the largest library collections in the country (28 libraries with more than 9 million books)
More than 900 student organizations and activities and some 3,400 events each year open to all
A free bus system connecting the Five Colleges and three towns, day and night
Recruiting by almost 500 companies
African Studies, Coastal and Marine Sciences, East Asian Languages, Film and Video, Native American Indian Studies, Peace and World Security Studies, and more.