Holy Cross College vs. CBU

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

 Holy Cross College CBU
Location Notre Dame, IN Memphis, TN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 547 2,043
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #588
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hcc-nd.edu cbu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross College CBU
Tuition (In State) $34,100 $37,300
Tuition (Out of State) $34,100 $37,300
Room & Board $12,300 $10,731
Avg Net Price $24,214 $17,068
Avg Grant Aid $24,582 $29,076
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 100%

Admission

 Holy Cross College CBU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,670 1,105
Admitted 1,231 977
Acceptance Rate 73.7% 88.4%
Enrolled % 20.3% 20.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.67
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 18/23
SAT Range 980/1300 1040/1300
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 Jul 28, 2025

Academics

 Holy Cross College CBU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College CBU
Graduation Rate 13% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,800 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $239 $279

Diversity

 Holy Cross College CBU
% Men 0% 24%
% Women 2% 18%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 65% 43%
% Black 11% 29%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 6%

Students

 Holy Cross College CBU
% In-State 35% 67%
% Out-of-State 61% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Christian Brothers University is larger than than Holy Cross College based on total student enrollment (2,043 students vs. 547 students)

Holy Cross College vs. CBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross College or CBU?

  • Christian Brothers University is 9.4% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross College for in-state tuition ($37,300.00 vs. $34,100.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.4% higher at CBU than Holy Cross College ($37,300.00 vs. $34,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Christian Brothers University than Holy Cross College ($17,068 vs. $24,214)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Christian Brothers University are 14.6% lower than costs at Holy Cross College ($10,731 vs. $12,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Christian Brothers University than Holy Cross College (100% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Christian Brothers University students is 18.3% larger than aid received Holy Cross College ($29,076 vs. $24,582)

Holy Cross College vs. CBU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christian Brothers University (1105) is 121 points higher than at Holy Cross College (984)
  • Incoming CBU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Holy Cross College (22)
  • Accepted freshman CBU students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at Holy Cross College (3.2)
  • CBU has a higher acceptance rate (88.4%) than Holy Cross College (73.7%)

Holy Cross College vs. CBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross College or CBU? 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 CBU and Holy Cross College.

  • The graduation rate at CBU is higher than Holy Cross College (52% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Christian Brothers University earn on average $6,800 more per year than Holy Cross College graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $43,800)
  • Holy Cross College students graduate with a $3,875 lower median federal student loan debt than CBU graduates. ($23,125 vs. $27,000)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than CBU graduates. ($239 vs. $279)
  • More Holy Cross College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CBU students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 53%)

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