Principia College vs. St. Mary's College

Comparable Facts

Compare Principia College in Elsah, Illinois with Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

Saint Mary's College is larger than Principia College based on total student enrollment (1,601 students vs. 339 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Principia College is located in Elsah, Illinois (Rural Fringe setting); Saint Mary's College is in Notre Dame, IN (Rural Fringe setting).
• Principia College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Saint Mary's College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Principia College 6:1; Saint Mary's College 9:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Principia College are 2.5% lower than at Saint Mary's College ($13,910 vs. $14,260).
• Out-of-state tuition is 53.5% higher at St. Mary's College than at Principia College (about $18,550 more per year; $53,230 vs. $34,680).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Mary's College than at Principia College (100% vs. 90%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 27.5% larger than aid received by Principia College students ($38,748 vs. $30,402).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 7 points higher at St. Mary's College than at Principia College (28 vs. 21, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are not reported at Principia College, test optional at St. Mary's College.
• Enrolled first-year students at St. Mary's College average a 3.83 high school GPA, 0.49 higher than at Principia College (3.34).

Loans and repayment

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.