Holy Cross vs. Vassar

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

Holy Cross Vassar
Location Worcester, MA Poughkeepsie, NY
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,035 2,456
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #46
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu vassar.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Holy Cross Vassar
Tuition (In State) $60,050 $66,870
Tuition (Out of State) $60,050 $66,870
Room & Board $17,750 $17,415
Avg Net Price $35,455 $29,733
Avg Grant Aid $41,140 $53,840
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 58%

Admission

Holy Cross Vassar
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,670 12,145
Admitted 1,829 2,153
Acceptance Rate 21.1% 17.7%
Enrolled % 45% 32%
Avg High School GPA - 3.86
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 28/32 33/35
SAT Range 1250/1420 1435/1550
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 1, 2025

Academics

Holy Cross Vassar
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)

Outcomes

Holy Cross Vassar
Graduation Rate 91% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $80,400 $58,400
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $15,780
Median Loan Payment $284 $163

Diversity

Holy Cross Vassar
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 0% 1%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 59%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 10% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

Holy Cross Vassar
% In-State 35% 28%
% Out-of-State 61% 64%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • College of the Holy Cross is larger than than Vassar based on total student enrollment (3,035 students vs. 2,456 students)

Holy Cross vs. Vassar Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross or Vassar?

  • Vassar College is 11.4% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross for in-state tuition ($66,870.00 vs. $60,050.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.4% higher at Vassar than College of the Holy Cross ($66,870.00 vs. $60,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vassar College than Holy Cross ($29,733 vs. $35,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Vassar College are 1.9% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($17,415 vs. $17,750)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at College of the Holy Cross as Vassar College (58% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vassar College students is 30.9% larger than aid received College of the Holy Cross ($53,840 vs. $41,140)

Holy Cross vs. Vassar Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Holy Cross has a higher acceptance rate (21.1%) than Vassar (17.7%)

Holy Cross vs. Vassar Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Holy Cross is the same as at Vassar College (91% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from College of the Holy Cross earn on average $22,000 more per year than Vassar graduates after ten years. ($80,400 vs. $58,400)
  • Vassar College students graduate with a $11,720 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($15,780 vs. $27,500)
  • Vassar graduates are paying $121 less per month on federal student loans than Holy Cross graduates. ($163 vs. $284)
  • More Vassar graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)

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