SHU vs. University of the District of Columbia

Deciding between Sacred Heart University and University of the District of Columbia? 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
University of the District of Columbia

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • SHU Fairfield, CT
  • University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC
  • Setting
  • SHU Large Suburban
  • University of the District of Columbia Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • SHU 11,022
  • University of the District of Columbia 4,202
  • Type
  • SHU Private 4 Year
  • University of the District of Columbia Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SHU Roman Catholic
  • University of the District of Columbia -
  • Status
  • SHU Non-profit
  • University of the District of Columbia Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • University of the District of Columbia $5,662
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SHU $50,404
  • University of the District of Columbia $12,514
  • Room & Board
  • SHU $19,140
  • University of the District of Columbia $17,224
  • Average Net Price
  • SHU $47,848
  • University of the District of Columbia $12,895
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SHU $21,625
  • University of the District of Columbia $7,883
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SHU 99%
  • University of the District of Columbia 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SHU 16,495
  • University of the District of Columbia -
  • Admitted
  • SHU 10,781
  • University of the District of Columbia -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SHU 65.4%
  • University of the District of Columbia Open
  • Enrolled
  • SHU 17.5%
  • University of the District of Columbia Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • Typical ACT score
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • Average High School GPA
  • SHU 3.55
  • University of the District of Columbia -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SHU A-
  • University of the District of Columbia -
  • Admissions Standards
  • SHU Unavailable
  • University of the District of Columbia Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SHU Low
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • ACT Range
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • SAT Range
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SHU Test-free
  • University of the District of Columbia Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • SHU
  • University of the District of Columbia Aug 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SHU 15:1
  • University of the District of Columbia 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SHU
    • Business (36%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Psychology (13%)
    • Communication (6%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)
  • University of the District of Columbia
    • Business (22%)
    • Health Professions (15%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
    • Education (6%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SHU 68%
  • University of the District of Columbia 8%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SHU $59,700
  • University of the District of Columbia $37,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SHU 76%
  • University of the District of Columbia 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SHU $25,000
  • University of the District of Columbia $22,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SHU $258
  • University of the District of Columbia $227

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SHU 36%
  • University of the District of Columbia 35%
  • % Women
  • SHU 64%
  • University of the District of Columbia 65%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SHU Low
  • University of the District of Columbia Medium
  • HBCU
  • SHU No
  • University of the District of Columbia Yes
  • % White
  • SHU 71%
  • University of the District of Columbia 4%
  • % Asian
  • SHU 2%
  • University of the District of Columbia 1%
  • % Black
  • SHU 4%
  • University of the District of Columbia 62%
  • % Hispanic
  • SHU 8%
  • University of the District of Columbia 10%
  • % Native American
  • SHU 0%
  • University of the District of Columbia 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SHU 0%
  • University of the District of Columbia 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SHU 2%
  • University of the District of Columbia 2%
  • % International
  • SHU 1%
  • University of the District of Columbia 8%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SHU 12%
  • University of the District of Columbia 12%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SHU 23%
  • University of the District of Columbia 82%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SHU 76%
  • University of the District of Columbia 13%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • SHU Yes
  • University of the District of Columbia Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • SHU No
  • University of the District of Columbia No
  • Meal Plan
  • SHU Yes
  • University of the District of Columbia No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • SHU Yes
  • University of the District of Columbia Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • SHU No
  • University of the District of Columbia Yes
  • Learn More
  • SHU Details
  • University of the District of Columbia Details

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacred Heart University is larger than University of the District of Columbia based on total student enrollment (11,022 students vs. 4,202 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Sacred Heart University is located in Fairfield, CT (Large Suburban setting); University of the District of Columbia is in Washington, DC (Large City setting).
  • Sacred Heart University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. University of the District of Columbia is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacred Heart University 15:1; University of the District of Columbia 8:1.

SHU vs. University of the District of Columbia Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or University of the District of Columbia? 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 University of the District of Columbia than SHU ($12,895 vs. $47,848).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the District of Columbia are 10% lower than at Sacred Heart University ($17,224 vs. $19,140).
  • Sacred Heart University is 790.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than University of the District of Columbia (about $44,742 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $5,662.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 302.8% higher at SHU than at University of the District of Columbia (about $37,890 more per year; $50,404.00 vs. $12,514.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of the District of Columbia than at Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 174.3% larger than aid received by University of the District of Columbia students ($21,625 vs. $7,883).

SHU vs. University of the District of Columbia Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or University of the District of Columbia? 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 University of the District of Columbia and SHU.

  • University of the District of Columbia reports an open admissions policy.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SHU - Test-free; University of the District of Columbia - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: University of the District of Columbia Aug 1, 2027.

SHU vs. University of the District of Columbia Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SHU and University of the District of Columbia? 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.

  • Sacred Heart University's six-year graduation rate (68%) is higher than University of the District of Columbia's (8%).
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn a median of about $22,600 more per year than University of the District of Columbia graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,700 vs. $37,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of the District of Columbia graduates have a $3,000 lower median loan debt than SHU graduates ($22,000 vs. $25,000).
  • Among borrowers, University of the District of Columbia graduates have an estimated $31 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SHU graduates ($227 vs. $258).
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of the District of Columbia students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 28%)

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.