St. Mary's College vs. Purdue

Deciding between Saint Mary's College and Purdue University Main Campus? 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.

Saint Mary's College
Purdue University Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • St. Mary's College Notre Dame, IN
  • Purdue West Lafayette, IN
  • Setting
  • St. Mary's College Rural Fringe
  • Purdue Midsize Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • St. Mary's College 1,601
  • Purdue 58,658
  • Type
  • St. Mary's College Private 4 Year
  • Purdue Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • St. Mary's College #174
  • Purdue #102
  • Religious Affiliation
  • St. Mary's College Roman Catholic
  • Purdue -
  • Status
  • St. Mary's College Non-profit
  • Purdue Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • St. Mary's College
  • Purdue

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • St. Mary's College $53,230
  • Purdue $9,992
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • St. Mary's College $53,230
  • Purdue $28,794
  • Room & Board
  • St. Mary's College $14,260
  • Purdue $12,820
  • Average Net Price
  • St. Mary's College $27,865
  • Purdue $13,722
  • Average Grant Aid
  • St. Mary's College $38,748
  • Purdue $11,294
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • St. Mary's College 100%
  • Purdue 40%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • St. Mary's College 2,588
  • Purdue 78,745
  • Admitted
  • St. Mary's College 1,966
  • Purdue 39,272
  • Acceptance Rate
  • St. Mary's College 76%
  • Purdue 49.9%
  • Enrolled
  • St. Mary's College 20.1%
  • Purdue 29.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • St. Mary's College 1230
  • Purdue 1340
  • Typical ACT score
  • St. Mary's College 28
  • Purdue 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • St. Mary's College 3.83
  • Purdue 3.67
  • Typical High School Grades
  • St. Mary's College A-
  • Purdue A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • St. Mary's College Difficult
  • Purdue Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • St. Mary's College
  • Purdue Low
  • ACT Range
  • St. Mary's College 26/30
  • Purdue 27/34
  • SAT Range
  • St. Mary's College 1130/1325
  • Purdue 1200/1480
  • Submit Test Scores
  • St. Mary's College Test optional
  • Purdue Required
  • Application Deadline
  • St. Mary's College
  • Purdue

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • St. Mary's College 9:1
  • Purdue 14:1
  • Popular Majors
  • St. Mary's College
    • Health Professions (13%)
    • Communication (12%)
    • Business (10%)
    • English and Literature (9%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Purdue
    • Engineering (18%)
    • Business (18%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Education (6%)
    • Work and Family Studies (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • St. Mary's College 79%
  • Purdue 68%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • St. Mary's College $51,100
  • Purdue $61,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • St. Mary's College 85%
  • Purdue 78%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • St. Mary's College $27,000
  • Purdue $21,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • St. Mary's College $279
  • Purdue $222

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • St. Mary's College 1%
  • Purdue 59%
  • % Women
  • St. Mary's College 99%
  • Purdue 41%
  • Racial Diversity
  • St. Mary's College Low
  • Purdue Medium
  • HBCU
  • St. Mary's College No
  • Purdue No
  • % White
  • St. Mary's College 78%
  • Purdue 65%
  • % Asian
  • St. Mary's College 2%
  • Purdue 6%
  • % Black
  • St. Mary's College 2%
  • Purdue 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • St. Mary's College 11%
  • Purdue 4%
  • % Native American
  • St. Mary's College 0%
  • Purdue 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • St. Mary's College 0%
  • Purdue 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • St. Mary's College 3%
  • Purdue 2%
  • % International
  • St. Mary's College 1%
  • Purdue 17%
  • % Unknown Race
  • St. Mary's College 3%
  • Purdue 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • St. Mary's College 39%
  • Purdue 41%
  • % Out-of-State
  • St. Mary's College 61%
  • Purdue 47%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • St. Mary's College Yes
  • Purdue Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • St. Mary's College No
  • Purdue No
  • Meal Plan
  • St. Mary's College Yes
  • Purdue Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • St. Mary's College No
  • Purdue No
  • Daycare Facility
  • St. Mary's College Yes
  • Purdue Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN with Purdue University Main Campus in West Lafayette, IN on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Purdue University Main Campus is larger than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (58,658 students vs. 1,601 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Saint Mary's College is located in Notre Dame, IN (Rural Fringe setting); Purdue University Main Campus is in West Lafayette, IN (Midsize Suburban setting).
  • Saint Mary's College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Purdue University Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Saint Mary's College 9:1; Purdue University Main Campus 14:1.

St. Mary's College vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's College or Purdue? 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 Purdue University Main Campus than St. Mary's College ($13,722 vs. $27,865).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 10.1% lower than at Saint Mary's College ($12,820 vs. $14,260).
  • Saint Mary's College is 432.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Purdue (about $43,238 more per year; $53,230.00 vs. $9,992.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 84.9% higher at St. Mary's College than at Purdue University Main Campus (about $24,436 more per year; $53,230.00 vs. $28,794.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Mary's College than at Purdue University Main Campus (100% vs. 40%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 243.1% larger than aid received by Purdue University Main Campus students ($38,748 vs. $11,294).

St. Mary's College vs. Purdue Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's College or Purdue? 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 Purdue and St. Mary's College.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Purdue University Main Campus (1340) is 110 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1230).
  • Incoming Purdue students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 28 at St. Mary's College).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Saint Mary's College 1130/1325; Purdue University Main Campus 1200/1480.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Saint Mary's College 26/30; Purdue University Main Campus 27/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's College - Test optional; Purdue - Required.
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Purdue (3.67).
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (76%) than Purdue (49.9%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 20.1% at St. Mary's College vs. 29.2% at Purdue.

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

How do outcomes compare for St. Mary's College and Purdue? 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).

  • Saint Mary's College's six-year graduation rate (79%) is higher than Purdue University Main Campus's (68%).
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of about $10,100 more per year than St. Mary's College graduates about ten years after starting college ($61,200 vs. $51,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Purdue University Main Campus graduates have a $5,500 lower median loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates ($21,500 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, Purdue graduates have an estimated $57 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than St. Mary's College graduates ($222 vs. $279).
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purdue students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 78%)

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.