Saint Marys College of California vs. Principia College

Should I go to Saint Marys College of California or Principia College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Saint Marys College of California or Principia College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Saint Marys College of California vs. Principia College comparison
Saint Marys College of California Principia College College 3 College 4
Saint Marys College of California
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Overview

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Location Moraga, CA Elsah, Illinois
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,775 338
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #289
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stmarys-ca.edu principiacollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Tuition (In State) $55,634 $32,250
Tuition (Out of State) $55,634 $32,250
Room & Board $16,900 $13,370
Avg Net Price $31,615 $14,904
Avg Grant Aid $42,080 $32,096
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 90%

Admission

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,308 268
Admitted 3,816 119
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 44.4%
Enrolled % 13.2% 70.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.34
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 19/23
SAT Range 1070/1253 1040/1250
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026

Academics

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Graduation Rate 61% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 71% -
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 N/A
Median Loan Payment $258 N/A

Diversity

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
% Men 10% 0%
% Women 16% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High -
HBCU No No
% White 46% 0%
% Black 4% 0%
% Hispanic 25% 0%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 0%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
% In-State 84% 3%
% Out-of-State 13% 41%

Campus

Saint Marys College of California Principia College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Marys College of California is larger than than Principia College based on total student enrollment (2,775 students vs. 338 students)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Principia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Marys College of California or Principia College?

  • Saint Marys College of California is 72.5% more expensive to attend than Principia College for in-state tuition ($55,634.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.5% higher at Saint Marys College of California than Principia College ($55,634.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Principia College than Saint Marys College of California ($14,904 vs. $31,615)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Principia College are 26.4% lower than costs at Saint Marys College of California ($13,370 vs. $16,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Marys College of California than Principia College (100% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Marys College of California students is 31.1% larger than aid received Principia College ($42,080 vs. $32,096)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Principia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Saint Marys College of California or Principia College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Principia College or Saint Marys College of California .

  • Accepted freshman Saint Marys College of California students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Principia College (3.34)
  • Saint Marys College of California has a higher acceptance rate (88.6%) than Principia College (44.4%)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Principia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Marys College of California or Principia College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Principia College and Saint Marys College of California.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/