Howard vs. St. Mary's

Should I go to Howard University or St Mary's College of Maryland? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard or St. Mary's 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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Howard University vs. St Mary's College of Maryland comparison
Howard University St Mary's College of Maryland College 3 College 4
Howard University St Mary's College of Maryland
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Overview

 Howard St. Mary's
Location Washington, DC St. Mary's City, MD
Setting Large City Distant Rural
Enrollment 12,886 1,520
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #143
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu smcm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard St. Mary's
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $12,116
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $28,192
Room & Board $15,880 $14,146
Avg Net Price $28,279 $20,714
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $10,265
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 94%

Admission

 Howard St. Mary's
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 2,934
Admitted 10,253 2,268
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 77.3%
Enrolled % 24.3% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 28/30
SAT Range 1050/1290 1130/1370
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 Feb 15, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Howard St. Mary's
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)

Outcomes

 Howard St. Mary's
Graduation Rate 63% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $51,500
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $20,370
Median Loan Payment $279 $210

Diversity

 Howard St. Mary's
% Men 29% 41%
% Women 71% 59%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 71%
% Black 91% 8%
% Hispanic 0% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 5%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

 Howard St. Mary's
% In-State 1% 87%
% Out-of-State 91% 12%

Campus

 Howard St. Mary's
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Howard University is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (12,886 students vs. 1,520 students)

Howard vs. St. Mary's Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or St. Mary's?

  • Howard University is 152.4% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($30,584.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.5% higher at Howard than St Mary's College of Maryland ($30,584.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Howard ($20,714 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Mary's College of Maryland are 12.3% lower than costs at Howard University ($14,146 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than St Mary's College of Maryland (99% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 95.5% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($20,063 vs. $10,265)

Howard vs. St. Mary's Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard or St. Mary's? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between St. Mary's or Howard .

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 40 points higher than at Howard (1105)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Howard (24)
  • Accepted freshman Howard students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (77.3%) than Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. St. Mary's Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard or St. Mary's? 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 and Howard.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Howard University (79% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Howard University earn on average $300 more per year than St. Mary's graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $51,500)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $6,630 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($20,370 vs. $27,000)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($210 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 33%)

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