SHU vs. Temple

Deciding between Sacred Heart University and Temple University? 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
Temple University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • SHU Fairfield, CT
  • Temple Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • SHU Large Suburban
  • Temple Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • SHU 11,022
  • Temple 29,640
  • Type
  • SHU Private 4 Year
  • Temple Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SHU
  • Temple
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SHU Roman Catholic
  • Temple -
  • Status
  • SHU Non-profit
  • Temple Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SHU
  • Temple

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • Temple $23,011
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • Temple $38,958
  • Room & Board
  • SHU $19,140
  • Temple $17,690
  • Average Net Price
  • SHU $47,848
  • Temple $28,088
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SHU $21,625
  • Temple $14,837
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SHU 99%
  • Temple 89%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SHU 16,495
  • Temple 39,754
  • Admitted
  • SHU 10,781
  • Temple 31,966
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SHU 65.4%
  • Temple 80.4%
  • Enrolled
  • SHU 17.5%
  • Temple 15.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • SHU
  • Temple
  • Typical ACT score
  • SHU
  • Temple
  • Average High School GPA
  • SHU 3.55
  • Temple 3.46
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SHU A-
  • Temple B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • SHU Unavailable
  • Temple Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SHU Low
  • Temple
  • ACT Range
  • SHU
  • Temple
  • SAT Range
  • SHU
  • Temple
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SHU Test-free
  • Temple Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • SHU
  • Temple Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SHU 15:1
  • Temple 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SHU
    • Business (36%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Psychology (13%)
    • Communication (6%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Temple
    • Business (23%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Education (8%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SHU 68%
  • Temple 68%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SHU $59,700
  • Temple $56,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SHU 76%
  • Temple 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SHU $25,000
  • Temple $26,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SHU $258
  • Temple $268

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SHU 36%
  • Temple 43%
  • % Women
  • SHU 64%
  • Temple 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SHU Low
  • Temple High
  • HBCU
  • SHU No
  • Temple No
  • % White
  • SHU 71%
  • Temple 56%
  • % Asian
  • SHU 2%
  • Temple 11%
  • % Black
  • SHU 4%
  • Temple 13%
  • % Hispanic
  • SHU 8%
  • Temple 6%
  • % Native American
  • SHU 0%
  • Temple 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SHU 0%
  • Temple 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SHU 2%
  • Temple 3%
  • % International
  • SHU 1%
  • Temple 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SHU 12%
  • Temple 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SHU 23%
  • Temple 60%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SHU 76%
  • Temple 37%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • SHU Yes
  • Temple Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • SHU No
  • Temple No
  • Meal Plan
  • SHU Yes
  • Temple Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • SHU Yes
  • Temple Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • SHU No
  • Temple No

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with Temple University in Philadelphia, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Temple University is larger than SHU based on total student enrollment (29,640 students vs. 11,022 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Sacred Heart University is located in Fairfield, CT (Large Suburban setting); Temple University is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • Sacred Heart University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Temple University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacred Heart University 15:1; Temple University 12:1.

SHU vs. Temple Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Temple? 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 Temple University than SHU ($28,088 vs. $47,848).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Temple University are 7.6% lower than at Sacred Heart University ($17,690 vs. $19,140).
  • Sacred Heart University is 119% more expensive for in-state tuition than Temple (about $27,393 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $23,011.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 29.4% higher at SHU than at Temple University (about $11,446 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $38,958.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacred Heart University than at Temple University (99% vs. 89%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 45.8% larger than aid received by Temple University students ($21,625 vs. $14,837).

SHU vs. Temple Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or Temple? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Temple and SHU.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SHU - Test-free; Temple - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Temple Feb 1, 2027.
  • Enrolled freshman SHU students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Temple (3.46).
  • Temple has a higher acceptance rate (80.4%) than SHU (65.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.5% at SHU vs. 15.2% at Temple.

SHU vs. Temple Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SHU and Temple? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is the same as at Temple University (68% vs. 68%).
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn a median of about $3,400 more per year than Temple graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,700 vs. $56,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Sacred Heart University graduates have a $1,000 lower median loan debt than Temple graduates ($25,000 vs. $26,000).
  • Among borrowers, SHU graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Temple graduates ($258 vs. $268).
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Temple students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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.