SHU vs. Saint Peters; SPC

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with Saint Peter's University in Jersey City, NJ on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacred Heart University is larger than Saint Peters; SPC based on total student enrollment (11,022 students vs. 3,572 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Sacred Heart University is located in Fairfield, CT (Large Suburban setting); Saint Peter's University is in Jersey City, NJ (Large Suburban setting).
• Sacred Heart University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Saint Peter's University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacred Heart University 15:1; Saint Peter's University 12:1.

SHU vs. Saint Peters; SPC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Saint Peters; SPC? 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 Peter's University than SHU ($13,775 vs. $47,848).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Peter's University are 7% lower than at Sacred Heart University ($17,794 vs. $19,140).
• Sacred Heart University is 18.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Saint Peters; SPC (about $7,852 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $42,552.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 18.5% higher at SHU than at Saint Peter's University (about $7,852 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $42,552.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Peter's University than at Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Peter's University students is 69.6% larger than aid received by Sacred Heart University students ($36,685 vs. $21,625).

SHU vs. Saint Peters; SPC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or Saint Peters; SPC? 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 Peters; SPC and SHU.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSaint Peter's University 970/1150.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSaint Peter's University 17/28.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SHU - Test-free; Saint Peters; SPC - Test-free.
• Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Saint Peters; SPC (3.31).
• Saint Peters; SPC has a higher acceptance rate (90.3%) than SHU (65.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.5% at SHU vs. 11.4% at Saint Peters; SPC.

SHU vs. Saint Peters; SPC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SHU and Saint Peters; SPC? 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 Peter's University's (51%).
• Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn a median of about $11,300 more per year than Saint Peters; SPC graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,700 vs. $48,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Saint Peter's University and SHU graduates have the same median loan debt ($25,000 vs. $25,000).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, Saint Peter's University 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 Saint Peters; SPC students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 50%)

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.