Principia College vs. Holy Cross College

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

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Location Elsah, Illinois Notre Dame, IN
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 338 547
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website principiacollege.edu hcc-nd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Tuition (In State) $32,250 $34,100
Tuition (Out of State) $32,250 $34,100
Room & Board $13,370 $12,300
Avg Net Price $14,904 $24,214
Avg Grant Aid $32,096 $24,582
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 69%

Admission

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 268 1,670
Admitted 119 1,231
Acceptance Rate 44.4% 73.7%
Enrolled % 70.6% 20.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.2
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 19/23 23/31
SAT Range 1040/1250 980/1300
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, 2026

Academics

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)

Outcomes

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Graduation Rate - 13%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $43,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 64%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $23,125
Median Loan Payment N/A $239

Diversity

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

Students

 Principia College Holy Cross College
% In-State 3% 35%
% Out-of-State 41% 61%

Campus

 Principia College Holy Cross College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Holy Cross College is larger than than Principia College based on total student enrollment (547 students vs. 338 students)

Principia College vs. Holy Cross College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Principia College or Holy Cross College?

  • Holy Cross College is 5.7% more expensive to attend than Principia College for in-state tuition ($34,100.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.7% higher at Holy Cross College than Principia College ($34,100.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Principia College than Holy Cross College ($14,904 vs. $24,214)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 8.7% lower than costs at Principia College ($12,300 vs. $13,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Principia College than Holy Cross College (90% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Principia College students is 30.6% larger than aid received Holy Cross College ($32,096 vs. $24,582)

Principia College vs. Holy Cross College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Principia College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.34) than students at Holy Cross College (3.2)
  • Holy Cross College has a higher acceptance rate (73.7%) than Principia College (44.4%)

Principia College vs. Holy Cross College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Principia College or Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross College and Principia College.

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