Holy Cross College vs. MCAD

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

 Holy Cross College MCAD
Location Notre Dame, IN Minneapolis, MN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 434 821
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hcc-nd.edu mcad.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross College MCAD
Tuition (In State) $33,500 $42,110
Tuition (Out of State) $33,500 $42,110
Room & Board $12,000 $7,290
Avg Net Price $22,650 $28,443
Avg Grant Aid $24,381 $26,025
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 100%

Admission

 Holy Cross College MCAD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 944 668
Admitted 719 380
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 56.9%
Enrolled % 28.2% 42.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.29
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/27
SAT Range 1203/1373 1170/1380
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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 Holy Cross College MCAD
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (73%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Communications Technology (9%)
  • Precision Production Trades (3%)
  • Communication (3%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College MCAD
Graduation Rate 13% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,800 $41,500
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $239 $266

Diversity

 Holy Cross College MCAD
% Men 57% 31%
% Women 43% 69%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 65% 59%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 4% 16%

Students

 Holy Cross College MCAD
% In-State 35% 61%
% Out-of-State 61% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Minneapolis College of Art and Design is larger than than Holy Cross College based on total student enrollment (821 students vs. 434 students)

Holy Cross College vs. MCAD Cost Comparison

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

  • Minneapolis College of Art and Design is 25.7% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross College for in-state tuition ($42,110.00 vs. $33,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.7% higher at MCAD than Holy Cross College ($42,110.00 vs. $33,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Holy Cross College than MCAD ($22,650 vs. $28,443)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Minneapolis College of Art and Design are 64.6% lower than costs at Holy Cross College ($7,290 vs. $12,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Minneapolis College of Art and Design than Holy Cross College (100% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Minneapolis College of Art and Design students is 6.7% larger than aid received Holy Cross College ($26,025 vs. $24,381)

Holy Cross College vs. MCAD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1096) is 112 points higher than at Holy Cross College (984)
  • Incoming MCAD students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Holy Cross College (22)
  • Accepted freshman MCAD students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.29) than students at Holy Cross College (3.2)
  • Holy Cross College has a higher acceptance rate (76.2%) than MCAD (56.9%)

Holy Cross College vs. MCAD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at MCAD is higher than Holy Cross College (70% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Holy Cross College earn on average $2,300 more per year than MCAD graduates after ten years. ($43,800 vs. $41,500)
  • Holy Cross College students graduate with a $2,625 lower median federal student loan debt than MCAD graduates. ($23,125 vs. $25,750)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than MCAD graduates. ($239 vs. $266)
  • More MCAD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross College students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 64%)

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