SHU vs. Paul Smith's College

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science in Paul Smiths, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacred Heart University is larger than Paul Smith's College based on total student enrollment (11,022 students vs. 948 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Sacred Heart University is located in Fairfield, CT (Large Suburban setting); Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is in Paul Smiths, NY (Distant Rural setting).
• Sacred Heart University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacred Heart University 15:1; Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science 12:1.

SHU vs. Paul Smith's College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Paul Smith's College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science than SHU ($28,443 vs. $47,848).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science are 25.6% lower than at Sacred Heart University ($14,236 vs. $19,140).
• Sacred Heart University is 52.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Paul Smith's College (about $17,395 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $33,009.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 52.7% higher at SHU than at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science (about $17,395 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $33,009.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science than at Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science students is 6.2% larger than aid received by Sacred Heart University students ($22,973 vs. $21,625).

SHU vs. Paul Smith's College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or Paul Smith's College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Paul Smith's College and SHU.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SHU - Test-free; Paul Smith's College - Test-free.
• Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.75 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Paul Smith's College (2.8).
• Paul Smith's College has a higher acceptance rate (76.5%) than SHU (65.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.5% at SHU vs. 18.8% at Paul Smith's College.

SHU vs. Paul Smith's College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SHU and Paul Smith's College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Sacred Heart University's six-year graduation rate (68%) is higher than Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science's (37%).
• Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn a median of about $23,000 more per year than Paul Smith's College graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,700 vs. $36,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science and SHU graduates have the same median loan debt ($25,000 vs. $25,000).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science and SHU graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($258 vs. $258).
• More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Paul Smith's College students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 70%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.