SHU vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Deciding between Sacred Heart University and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Sacred Heart University
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • SHU Fairfield, CT
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN
  • Setting
  • SHU Large Suburban
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Distant Town
  • Total enrollment
  • SHU 11,022
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 4,505
  • Type
  • SHU Private 4 Year
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SHU Roman Catholic
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Roman Catholic
  • Status
  • SHU Non-profit
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $45,080
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $45,080
  • Room & Board
  • SHU $19,140
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $11,200
  • Average Net Price
  • SHU $47,848
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $22,032
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SHU $21,625
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $35,348
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SHU 99%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SHU 16,495
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 1,441
  • Admitted
  • SHU 10,781
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 1,337
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SHU 65.4%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 92.8%
  • Enrolled
  • SHU 17.5%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 18.8%
  • Typical SAT score
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Typical ACT score
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Average High School GPA
  • SHU 3.55
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 3.49
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SHU A-
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • SHU Unavailable
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SHU Low
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • ACT Range
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • SAT Range
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SHU Test-free
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • SHU
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota May 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SHU 15:1
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SHU
    • Business (36%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Psychology (13%)
    • Communication (6%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
    • Business (48%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
    • Health Professions (6%)
    • Education (5%)
    • Biology (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SHU 68%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 62%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SHU $59,700
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $48,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SHU 76%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 72%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SHU $25,000
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $23,250
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SHU $258
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $240

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SHU 36%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 37%
  • % Women
  • SHU 64%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 63%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SHU Low
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Low
  • HBCU
  • SHU No
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota No
  • % White
  • SHU 71%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 59%
  • % Asian
  • SHU 2%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 2%
  • % Black
  • SHU 4%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • SHU 8%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 5%
  • % Native American
  • SHU 0%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SHU 0%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SHU 2%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 1%
  • % International
  • SHU 1%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 3%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SHU 12%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 23%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SHU 23%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 65%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SHU 76%
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 33%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • SHU Yes
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • SHU No
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota No
  • Meal Plan
  • SHU Yes
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • SHU Yes
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • SHU No
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota No

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona, MN on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacred Heart University is larger than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota based on total student enrollment (11,022 students vs. 4,505 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Sacred Heart University is located in Fairfield, CT (Large Suburban setting); Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is in Winona, MN (Distant Town setting).
  • Sacred Heart University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacred Heart University 15:1; Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 18:1.

SHU vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? 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 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota than SHU ($22,032 vs. $47,848).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota are 41.5% lower than at Sacred Heart University ($11,200 vs. $19,140).
  • Sacred Heart University is 11.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (about $5,324 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $45,080.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 11.8% higher at SHU than at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (about $5,324 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $45,080.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota than at Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's University of Minnesota students is 63.5% larger than aid received by Sacred Heart University students ($35,348 vs. $21,625).

SHU vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? 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 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and SHU.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SHU - Test-free; Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Saint Mary's University of Minnesota May 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (3.49).
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota has a higher acceptance rate (92.8%) than SHU (65.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.5% at SHU vs. 18.8% at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.

SHU vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SHU and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? 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 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's (62%).
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn a median of about $11,300 more per year than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,700 vs. $48,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates have a $1,750 lower median loan debt than SHU graduates ($23,250 vs. $25,000).
  • Among borrowers, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates have an estimated $18 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SHU graduates ($240 vs. $258).
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Mary's University of Minnesota students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 72%)

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.