St. Mary's College vs. St. Ambrose University

Should I go to Saint Mary's College or Saint Ambrose University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's College or St. Ambrose University 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. Saint Ambrose University comparison
Saint Mary's College Saint Ambrose University College 3 College 4
Saint Mary's College Saint Ambrose University
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Overview

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
Location Notre Dame, IN Davenport, IA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,519 2,747
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #162 #402
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu sau.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
Tuition (In State) $48,880 $34,290
Tuition (Out of State) $48,880 $34,290
Room & Board $13,580 $11,988
Avg Net Price $27,960 $23,359
Avg Grant Aid $36,112 $25,476
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,260 3,589
Admitted 1,896 2,653
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 73.9%
Enrolled % 20.9% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.39
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/32 20/27
SAT Range 1100/1328 1020/1240
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 St. Ambrose University
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 (32%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
Graduation Rate 79% 62%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $48,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 71%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,764
Median Loan Payment $279 $266

Diversity

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
% Men 1% 42%
% Women 99% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 80%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 4%

Students

 St. Mary's College St. Ambrose University
% In-State 35% 33%
% Out-of-State 64% 64%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Ambrose University is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (2,747 students vs. 1,519 students)

St. Mary's College vs. St. Ambrose University Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint Mary's College is 42.5% more expensive to attend than St. Ambrose University for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $34,290.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 42.5% higher at St. Mary's College than Saint Ambrose University ($48,880.00 vs. $34,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Ambrose University than St. Mary's College ($23,359 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Ambrose University are 13.3% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($11,988 vs. $13,580)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College as Saint Ambrose University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 41.7% larger than aid received Saint Ambrose University ($36,112 vs. $25,476)

St. Mary's College vs. St. Ambrose University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Saint Mary's College (1125) is 75 points higher than at St. Ambrose University (1050)
  • Incoming St. Mary's College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at St. Ambrose University (23)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.44 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at St. Ambrose University (3.39)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than St. Ambrose University (73.9%)

St. Mary's College vs. St. Ambrose University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's College or St. Ambrose University ? 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 St. Ambrose University and St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Saint Ambrose University (79% vs. 62%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $2,800 more per year than St. Ambrose University graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $48,300)
  • Saint Ambrose University students graduate with a $1,236 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($25,764 vs. $27,000)
  • St. Ambrose University graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($266 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Ambrose University students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 71%)

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