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.
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Holy Cross College vs. Sweet Briar College comparison
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Overview

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Location Notre Dame, IN Sweet Briar, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 434 460
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) $33,500 $22,620
Tuition (Out of State) $33,500 $22,620
Room & Board $12,000 $14,250
Avg Net Price $22,650 $28,408
Avg Grant Aid $24,381 $12,254
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 96%

Admission

 Holy Cross College Sweet Briar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 944 1,204
Admitted 719 912
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 75.7%
Enrolled % 28.2% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.54
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30
SAT Range 1203/1373 1020/1360
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 10:1 8:1
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 57% 0%
% Women 43% 100%
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

  • Sweet Briar College is larger than than Holy Cross College based on total student enrollment (460 students vs. 434 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 48.1% more expensive to attend than Sweet Briar College for in-state tuition ($33,500.00 vs. $22,620.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 48.1% higher at Holy Cross College than Sweet Briar College ($33,500.00 vs. $22,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Holy Cross College than Sweet Briar College ($22,650 vs. $28,408)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 18.8% lower than costs at Sweet Briar College ($12,000 vs. $14,250)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Holy Cross College (96% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Holy Cross College students is 99% larger than aid received Sweet Briar College ($24,381 vs. $12,254)

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 (76.2%) than Sweet Briar College (75.7%)

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/