Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College

Should I go to Holy Cross College or Sweet Briar College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Holy Cross College or Sweet Briar 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Notre Dame Georgetown College Marquette University Davidson Loyola Denison Connecticut College Oberlin Miami Kenyon Holy Cross Liberty University
Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College comparison
Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College College 3 College 4
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Location Notre Dame, IN Sweet Briar, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 547 464
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hcc-nd.edu sbc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Tuition (In State) $34,100 $23,730
Tuition (Out of State) $34,100 $23,730
Room & Board $12,300 $14,720
Avg Net Price $24,214 $25,598
Avg Grant Aid $24,582 $15,880
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 99%

Admission

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,670 1,136
Admitted 1,231 815
Acceptance Rate 73.7% 71.7%
Enrolled % 20.3% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.54
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 23/31 21/27
SAT Range 980/1300 1100/1310
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 Sweet Briar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Graduation Rate 13% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,800 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $239 $279

Diversity

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 2% 0%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 71%
% Black 11% 9%
% Hispanic 10% 9%
% Native American 1% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
% In-State 35% 43%
% Out-of-State 61% 49%

Campus

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
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

  • Holy Cross College is larger than than Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (547 students vs. 464 students)

Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross College or Sweet Briar College?

  • Holy Cross College is 43.7% more expensive to attend than Sweet Briar College for in-state tuition ($34,100.00 vs. $23,730.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.7% higher at Holy Cross College than Sweet Briar College ($34,100.00 vs. $23,730.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Holy Cross College than Sweet Briar College ($24,214 vs. $25,598)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 19.7% lower than costs at Sweet Briar College ($12,300 vs. $14,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Holy Cross College (99% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Holy Cross College students is 54.8% larger than aid received Sweet Briar College ($24,582 vs. $15,880)

Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sweet Briar College (1098) is 114 points higher than at Holy Cross College (984)
  • Incoming Sweet Briar College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Holy Cross College (22)
  • Accepted freshman Sweet Briar College students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Holy Cross College (3.2)
  • Holy Cross College has a higher acceptance rate (73.7%) than Sweet Briar College (71.7%)

Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross College or Sweet Briar 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 Sweet Briar College and Holy Cross College.

  • The graduation rate at Sweet Briar College is higher than Holy Cross College (70% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Holy Cross College earn on average $2,100 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates after ten years. ($43,800 vs. $41,700)
  • Holy Cross College students graduate with a $3,875 lower median federal student loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($23,125 vs. $27,000)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($239 vs. $279)
  • More Sweet Briar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross College students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 64%)

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