Menlo vs. Hood

Should I go to Menlo College or Hood College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Menlo or Hood 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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Menlo College vs. Hood College comparison
Menlo College Hood College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Menlo Hood
Location Atherton, CA Frederick, MD
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 800 2,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website menlo.edu hood.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Menlo Hood
Tuition (In State) $48,260 $43,800
Tuition (Out of State) $48,260 $43,800
Room & Board $16,250 $13,600
Avg Net Price $29,151 $23,624
Avg Grant Aid $34,632 $34,047
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Menlo Hood
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,357 3,000
Admitted 2,072 2,336
Acceptance Rate 61.7% 77.9%
Enrolled % 9.8% 12.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 Menlo Hood
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (67%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 Menlo Hood
Graduation Rate 34% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $47,300
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,062 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $217 $279

Diversity

 Menlo Hood
% Men 56% 35%
% Women 44% 65%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 29% 63%
% Black 6% 12%
% Hispanic 22% 9%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 5%
% International 14% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 5%

Students

 Menlo Hood
% In-State 49% 70%
% Out-of-State 22% 29%

Campus

 Menlo Hood
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Hood College is larger than than Menlo based on total student enrollment (2,056 students vs. 800 students)

Menlo vs. Hood Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Menlo or Hood?

  • Menlo College is 10.2% more expensive to attend than Hood for in-state tuition ($48,260.00 vs. $43,800.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.2% higher at Menlo than Hood College ($48,260.00 vs. $43,800.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Hood College than Menlo ($23,624 vs. $29,151)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Hood College are 19.5% lower than costs at Menlo College ($13,600 vs. $16,250)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College as Hood College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 1.7% larger than aid received Hood College ($34,632 vs. $34,047)

Menlo vs. Hood Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Hood students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at Menlo (3.3)
  • Hood has a higher acceptance rate (77.9%) than Menlo (61.7%)

Menlo vs. Hood Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Menlo or Hood? 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 Hood and Menlo.

  • The graduation rate at Hood is higher than Menlo College (68% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Menlo College earn on average $6,600 more per year than Hood graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $47,300)
  • Menlo College students graduate with a $5,938 lower median federal student loan debt than Hood graduates. ($21,062 vs. $27,000)
  • Menlo graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Hood graduates. ($217 vs. $279)
  • More Hood graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 55%)

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