Butler vs. St. Mary's College

Should I go to Butler University or Saint Mary's College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Butler or St. Mary's College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Butler University vs. Saint Mary's College comparison
Butler University Saint Mary's College College 3 College 4
Butler University Saint Mary's College
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Overview

Butler St. Mary's College
Location Indianapolis, IN Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 5,525 1,519
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #210 #162
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website butler.edu saintmarys.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Butler St. Mary's College
Tuition (In State) $43,470 $48,880
Tuition (Out of State) $43,470 $48,880
Room & Board $15,260 $13,580
Avg Net Price $37,399 $27,960
Avg Grant Aid $25,728 $36,112
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 100%

Admission

Butler St. Mary's College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,386 2,260
Admitted 10,985 1,896
Acceptance Rate 82.1% 83.9%
Enrolled % 10.9% 20.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.83
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 26/32
SAT Range 1110/1320 1100/1328
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Butler St. Mary's College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

Butler St. Mary's College
Graduation Rate 72% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,400 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Butler St. Mary's College
% Men 39% 1%
% Women 61% 99%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 78%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Butler St. Mary's College
% In-State 45% 35%
% Out-of-State 53% 64%

Campus

Butler St. Mary's College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Butler University is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (5,525 students vs. 1,519 students)

Butler vs. St. Mary's College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Butler or St. Mary's College?

  • Saint Mary's College is 12.4% more expensive to attend than Butler for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $43,470.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.4% higher at St. Mary's College than Butler University ($48,880.00 vs. $43,470.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Mary's College than Butler ($27,960 vs. $37,399)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Mary's College are 12.4% lower than costs at Butler University ($13,580 vs. $15,260)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College than Butler University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 40.4% larger than aid received Butler University ($36,112 vs. $25,728)

Butler vs. St. Mary's College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Butler or St. Mary's College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between St. Mary's College or Butler .

  • The average SAT score at Butler University (1209) is 84 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Butler students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Butler students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at St. Mary's College (3.83)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Butler (82.1%)

Butler vs. St. Mary's College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Butler or St. Mary's College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between St. Mary's College and Butler.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Butler University (79% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Butler University earn on average $17,300 more per year than St. Mary's College graduates after ten years. ($68,400 vs. $51,100)
  • Saint Mary's College and Butler graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Saint Mary's College and Butler graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Butler students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 84%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/