St. Mary's College vs. Calvin College

Should I go to Saint Mary's College or Calvin College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's College or Calvin 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 Mary's College vs. Calvin College comparison
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Saint Mary's College Calvin College
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Overview

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Location Notre Dame, IN Grand Rapids, MI
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 1,519 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #162 #284
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Christian Reformed Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu calvin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Tuition (In State) $48,880 $38,370
Tuition (Out of State) $48,880 $38,370
Room & Board $13,580 $11,150
Avg Net Price $27,960 $25,775
Avg Grant Aid $36,112 $26,448
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,260 4,079
Admitted 1,896 3,027
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 74.2%
Enrolled % 20.9% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.84
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/32 25/30
SAT Range 1100/1328 1120/1370
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Graduation Rate 79% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $47,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,449
Median Loan Payment $279 $273

Diversity

St. Mary's College Calvin College
% Men 1% 46%
% Women 99% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 74%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 11% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

St. Mary's College Calvin College
% In-State 35% 51%
% Out-of-State 64% 33%

Campus

St. Mary's College Calvin College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Calvin College is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,519 students)

St. Mary's College vs. Calvin College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's College or Calvin College?

  • Saint Mary's College is 27.4% more expensive to attend than Calvin College for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $38,370.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.4% higher at St. Mary's College than Calvin College ($48,880.00 vs. $38,370.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Calvin College than St. Mary's College ($25,775 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Calvin College are 21.8% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($11,150 vs. $13,580)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College as Calvin College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 36.5% larger than aid received Calvin College ($36,112 vs. $26,448)

St. Mary's College vs. Calvin College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's College or Calvin College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Calvin College or St. Mary's College .

  • The average SAT score at Calvin College (1202) is 77 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Calvin College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Calvin College students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at St. Mary's College (3.83)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Calvin College (74.2%)

St. Mary's College vs. Calvin College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's College or Calvin 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 Calvin College and St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Calvin College (79% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $4,100 more per year than Calvin College graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $47,000)
  • Calvin College students graduate with a $551 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($26,449 vs. $27,000)
  • Calvin College graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($273 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Calvin College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 81%)

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