Holy Cross College vs. St. Mary's College

Should I go to Holy Cross College or Saint Mary's College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Holy Cross College 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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Holy Cross College vs. Saint Mary's College comparison
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Saint Mary's College
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Overview

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
Location Notre Dame, IN Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 434 1,519
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #162
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hcc-nd.edu saintmarys.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
Tuition (In State) $33,500 $48,880
Tuition (Out of State) $33,500 $48,880
Room & Board $12,000 $13,580
Avg Net Price $22,650 $27,960
Avg Grant Aid $24,381 $36,112
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 100%

Admission

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 944 2,260
Admitted 719 1,896
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 83.9%
Enrolled % 28.2% 20.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.83
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/32
SAT Range 1203/1373 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 Jul 28, 2025

Academics

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
Graduation Rate 13% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,800 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $239 $279

Diversity

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
% Men 57% 1%
% Women 43% 99%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 78%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 10% 11%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
% In-State 35% 35%
% Out-of-State 61% 64%

Campus

 Holy Cross College St. Mary's College
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

  • Saint Mary's College is larger than than Holy Cross College based on total student enrollment (1,519 students vs. 434 students)

Holy Cross College vs. St. Mary's College Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint Mary's College is 45.9% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross College for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $33,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.9% higher at St. Mary's College than Holy Cross College ($48,880.00 vs. $33,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Holy Cross College than St. Mary's College ($22,650 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 13.2% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($12,000 vs. $13,580)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College than Holy Cross College (100% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 48.1% larger than aid received Holy Cross College ($36,112 vs. $24,381)

Holy Cross College vs. St. Mary's College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Holy Cross College 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 Holy Cross College .

  • The average SAT score at Saint Mary's College (1125) is 141 points higher than at Holy Cross College (984)
  • Incoming St. Mary's College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Holy Cross College (22)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Holy Cross College (3.2)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Holy Cross College (76.2%)

Holy Cross College vs. St. Mary's College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross College 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 Holy Cross College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Holy Cross College (79% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $7,300 more per year than Holy Cross College graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $43,800)
  • Holy Cross College students graduate with a $3,875 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($23,125 vs. $27,000)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($239 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 64%)

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