The sky's the limit for personal growth opportunities at Sweet Briar College, but it's our down-to-earth campus, world-class community, and beautiful Central Virginia home that can't be matched by any other college.
Plus, we're so convinced you'll love it here that we can reimburse your travel expenses. Learn more about our travel reimbursement program.
Our Spacious Campus
2,840 Acres of space. 18 miles of trails. Historic Ralph Adams Cram architecture. The Quad. The Dells. The Lakes. The greenhouse, vineyard, and apiary. The Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center. The Fitness and Athletics Center. And that’s just the top of the list. You’ll enjoy ample opportunities for nourishing experiences here.
Your home away from home. Our six historic residence halls, built between 1906 and 1960, house students in single, double, triple and quad rooms. With residence halls on the National Register of Historic Places, you’ll live in a true piece of history while enjoying the comfort and community of a modern college dorm.
The 53,000 square-foot FAC offers racquetball and squash courts, a spinning room and a multi-purpose event space in the Upchurch Field House. The FAC includes the Williams Gymnasium and the Prothro Natatorium, in addition to locker rooms, aerobics, free-weight and fencing rooms.
Sweet Briar has made new investments of time, energy, and money for our students whose interests revolve around human and environmental sustainability. The greenhouse, apiary and vineyard all present world-class opportunities to immerse yourself in, and learn about, the natural world around us and how we can sustain it into the future.
The Boathouse at the Lower Lake houses a selection of canoes, stand-up paddleboards and tubes. Take your friends out for a sunny paddle on the lake, do some yoga on a paddleboard, float around in a tube, or use the lake as a resource for study and research.
Riding has always mattered deeply at Sweet Briar and always will. We believe equestrians make exemplary leaders, so we’ve invested in our program to make it one of the best in the nation. Sweet Briar’s 130-acre Rogers Riding Center ranks among the best in the country on a college campus, with stables renovated during the summer of 2020.
Sweet Briar’s 18+ miles of trails cross open fields and run through forests containing red and white oak, poplar, maple and beech trees. In season, you'll find wildflowers such as bloodroot, crested dwarf iris, wild geraniums and native azaleas. You'll commune with wildlife spotted like white-tailed deer, turkey, kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, fox, an occasional river otter and myriad butterflies.
1,500-Acres of Woods, Old-Growth Forests, and Sanctuaries.
Constitutional and Carry Nature Sanctuaries account for 77 acres on our campus and are home to 200- and 300-year-old white oaks as well as 100-year-old tulip poplars. There are also massive beech trees, red oaks, hickories, black gum, a large population of umbrella magnolias and a high diversity of spring wildflowers.
The Outing Cabin is a primitive log shelter built in the 1930s by Sweet Briar students seeking a restful place away from the main campus. Today, students, faculty, staff, alumnae and their guests use it for the same purpose: a rustic retreat in the woods. It is about a .25-mile uphill hike to reach it from the parking area.
Parks, lakes, trails and more — an exciting array of activities awaits you in Amherst County. Endless hiking trails. Blooming orchards and vineyards. Native American history. Outdoor recreation. Beautiful vistas and cozy communities. We have it all.
It’s no secret that Lynchburg is full of history and breathtaking views. But that beauty is more than just skin deep. Take in quiet vistas, pop into a coffee shop or two and discover the real beauty of Lynchburg. Only a 20-minute drive from campus, you get the bustle of the city when you want it and the calm of campus when you don’t.
Lynchburg’s seven historic districts are a must see. These prosperous neighborhoods sprang up in Lynchburg during the 19th century when tobacco tycoons, doctors and attorneys made Lynchburg the wealthiest city in the nation for its size. The impressive Queen Anne and Federal style mansions offer both an educational experience and unparalleled delight for the lovers of history and architecture.
Whether you're dining on campus at Prothro, Daisy’s Cafe or Houston Bistro, heading into Amherst for a bite at the Filling Station or the Briar Patch, or going out for an evening of fine dining in Lynchburg, the options for delicious food and drink surround you at Sweet Briar College. We even grow our own food in the campus greenhouse!
One of America’s most historic rivers flows through the Sweet Briar region, carrying with it a whole host of opportunities for recreation, leisure, research and repose. Go tubing with friends, rent a kayak for a day trip, go fishing, or study the vast ecosystem that the river supports.
These are the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the rolling hills and dales of central Virginia. This is home to lush meadows, rolling streams, big skies. historic architecture, rivers and lakes, wildflowers, wildlife and wilderness. There is inspiration around every bend in the road.
Don't Take It From Us... See Sweet Briar For Yourself
We can talk all day about our campus and what you can learn and do here. But to really understand, you need to see it for yourself. Whether you choose a virtual visit or an on-campus tour, you'll be glad you did. Sweet Briar College has so much to offer on campus, in our community and in the welcoming region that we call home. We'd love to give you a personalized tour.
We hope you’ll be able to visit in person soon, but if now isn't the right time for you, then a personalized virtual tour is a great way for you to learn more about Sweet Briar, answer some of your questions, and get to know us a little bit, while we get to know you too.
We provide two virtual campus tours each week: Tuesday at 9 a.m. EDT and Thursday at 5 p.m. EDT. We hope one of these virtual sessions will fit in your schedule.
Equestrians: We are offering virtual tours of our riding center on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. EST. These special tours will be given by a Sweet Briar riding instructor. Just use the same link for the virtual campus tour and our instructors will meet you there!
We’ve designed our events to help you get a true sense of what it’s like to be a student at Sweet Briar College. You’ll socialize with current students and hear about their experiences, tour the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center, and eat in the dining hall (it’s delicious!). There’ll be plenty of time for you to ask all the important questions to help you decide if Sweet Briar is right for you. We are currently working on the schedule and further details for the events but make sure you mark your calendar!
If you are a school counselor who would like to bring a group of prospective students to visit Sweet Briar, please contact the admissions office.
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Let us cover the cost of your visit
Through our visit reimbursement program, we will cover the cost for you and one parent to visit and coordinate an agenda tailored to your interests — You can fly, drive, or take the train. Whatever is easiest for you!
