SHMS vs. Gustavus Adolphus College

Should I go to Sacred Heart Major Seminary or Gustavus Adolphus College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHMS or Gustavus Adolphus 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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Sacred Heart Major Seminary vs. Gustavus Adolphus College comparison
Sacred Heart Major Seminary Gustavus Adolphus College College 3 College 4
Gustavus Adolphus College
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Overview

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
Location Detroit, MI Saint Peter, MN
Setting Large City Remote Town
Enrollment 357 1,952
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website shms.edu gustavus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
Tuition (In State) $25,440 $53,570
Tuition (Out of State) $25,440 $53,570
Room & Board $12,015 $11,290
Avg Net Price $10,371 $28,805
Avg Grant Aid $29,095 $37,193
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 97%

Admission

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4 4,450
Admitted 4 2,750
Acceptance Rate 100% 61.8%
Enrolled % 50% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.69
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
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 Aug 15, 2026 Apr 1, 2026

Academics

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (64%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (16%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
Graduation Rate - 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $56,300
Making Student Loan Payments - 82%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $27,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $279

Diversity

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
% Men 41% 1%
% Women 6% 1%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 51% 83%
% Black 1% 2%
% Hispanic 19% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 9% 4%
% Unknown Race 19% 0%

Students

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
% In-State 100% 79%
% Out-of-State 0% 15%

Campus

SHMS Gustavus Adolphus College
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

  • Gustavus Adolphus College is larger than than SHMS based on total student enrollment (1,952 students vs. 357 students)

SHMS vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHMS or Gustavus Adolphus College?

  • Gustavus Adolphus College is 110.6% more expensive to attend than SHMS for in-state tuition ($53,570.00 vs. $25,440.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 110.6% higher at Gustavus Adolphus College than Sacred Heart Major Seminary ($53,570.00 vs. $25,440.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sacred Heart Major Seminary than Gustavus Adolphus College ($10,371 vs. $28,805)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Gustavus Adolphus College are 6.4% lower than costs at Sacred Heart Major Seminary ($11,290 vs. $12,015)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gustavus Adolphus College than Sacred Heart Major Seminary (97% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gustavus Adolphus College students is 27.8% larger than aid received Sacred Heart Major Seminary ($37,193 vs. $29,095)

SHMS vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Gustavus Adolphus College students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at SHMS (3.48)
  • SHMS has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than Gustavus Adolphus College (61.8%)

SHMS vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHMS or Gustavus Adolphus 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 Gustavus Adolphus College and SHMS.

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