SHU vs. Marian

Should I go to Sacred Heart University or Marian University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHU or Marian 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 University vs. Marian University comparison
Sacred Heart University Marian University College 3 College 4
Sacred Heart University Marian University
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Overview

SHU Marian
Location Fairfield, CT Indianapolis, IN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 10,721 3,701
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu marian.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Marian
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $37,600
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $37,600
Room & Board $17,520 $12,000
Avg Net Price $45,280 $22,554
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $28,904
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

SHU Marian
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 1,997
Admitted 8,750 1,874
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 93.8%
Enrolled % 20.3% 24.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.56
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

SHU Marian
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (55%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (4%)
  • Psychology (3%)

Outcomes

SHU Marian
Graduation Rate 68% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

SHU Marian
% Men 35% 37%
% Women 65% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 72%
% Black 4% 12%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 12% 4%

Students

SHU Marian
% In-State 23% 87%
% Out-of-State 75% 10%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Marian based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 3,701 students)

SHU vs. Marian Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Marian?

  • Sacred Heart University is 23.2% more expensive to attend than Marian for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $37,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.2% higher at SHU than Marian University ($46,310.00 vs. $37,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Marian University than SHU ($22,554 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Marian University are 46% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($12,000 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Marian University than Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Marian University students is 48.3% larger than aid received Sacred Heart University ($28,904 vs. $19,484)

SHU vs. Marian Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Marian students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at SHU (3.55)
  • Marian has a higher acceptance rate (93.8%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Marian Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU or Marian? 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 Marian and SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Marian University (68% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn on average $14,900 more per year than Marian graduates after ten years. ($59,700 vs. $44,800)
  • Sacred Heart University students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Marian graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • SHU graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Marian graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Marian students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 57%)

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