Holy Cross vs. Cornell

Should I go to College of the Holy Cross or Cornell University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Holy Cross or Cornell 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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College of the Holy Cross vs. Cornell University comparison
College of the Holy Cross Cornell University College 3 College 4
College of the Holy Cross Cornell University
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Overview

Holy Cross Cornell
Location Worcester, MA Ithaca, NY
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 3,083 25,898
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #86 #19
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Holy Cross Cornell
Tuition (In State) $57,600 $62,456
Tuition (Out of State) $57,600 $62,456
Room & Board $16,620 $16,988
Avg Net Price $34,679 $26,060
Avg Grant Aid $39,615 $54,219
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 51%

Admission

Holy Cross Cornell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,036 69,195
Admitted 2,558 5,168
Acceptance Rate 36.4% 7.5%
Enrolled % 35.3% 67.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 28/32 33/35
SAT Range 1260/1430 1470/1570
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 Jan 15, 2025 Jan 2, 2025

Academics

Holy Cross Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

Holy Cross Cornell
Graduation Rate 91% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $80,400 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $284 $124

Diversity

Holy Cross Cornell
% Men 45% 47%
% Women 55% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 41%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 5% 8%

Students

Holy Cross Cornell
% In-State 35% 33%
% Out-of-State 61% 55%

Campus

Holy Cross Cornell
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Holy Cross based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 3,083 students)

Holy Cross vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 8.4% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $57,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.4% higher at Cornell than College of the Holy Cross ($62,456.00 vs. $57,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cornell University than Holy Cross ($26,060 vs. $34,679)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Holy Cross are 2.2% lower than costs at Cornell University ($16,620 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Holy Cross than Cornell University (60% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 36.9% larger than aid received College of the Holy Cross ($54,219 vs. $39,615)

Holy Cross vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Holy Cross or Cornell? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cornell or Holy Cross .

  • Holy Cross has a higher acceptance rate (36.4%) than Cornell (7.5%)

Holy Cross vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross or Cornell? 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 Cornell and Holy Cross.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than College of the Holy Cross (93% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $18,000 more per year than Holy Cross graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $80,400)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $15,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($12,000 vs. $27,500)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $160 less per month on federal student loans than Holy Cross graduates. ($124 vs. $284)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 87%)

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