St. Mary's College vs. SPU

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

 St. Mary's College SPU
Location Notre Dame, IN Seattle, WA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 1,518 2,659
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #246
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Free Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu spu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's College SPU
Tuition (In State) $50,350 $37,965
Tuition (Out of State) $50,350 $37,965
Room & Board $13,850 $15,498
Avg Net Price $30,389 $26,155
Avg Grant Aid $35,270 $28,070
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

 St. Mary's College SPU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,377 2,806
Admitted 1,928 2,556
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 91.1%
Enrolled % 21.7% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.53
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 20/28
SAT Range 1100/1310 1050/1320
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 Jul 11, 2026

Academics

 St. Mary's College SPU
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's College SPU
Graduation Rate 79% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,603
Median Loan Payment $279 $264

Diversity

 St. Mary's College SPU
% Men 0% 6%
% Women 6% 16%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 78% 61%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 St. Mary's College SPU
% In-State 34% 71%
% Out-of-State 64% 26%

Campus

 St. Mary's College SPU
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

  • Seattle Pacific University is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (2,659 students vs. 1,518 students)

St. Mary's College vs. SPU Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint Mary's College is 32.6% more expensive to attend than SPU for in-state tuition ($50,350.00 vs. $37,965.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32.6% higher at St. Mary's College than Seattle Pacific University ($50,350.00 vs. $37,965.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Seattle Pacific University than St. Mary's College ($26,155 vs. $30,389)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Mary's College are 11.9% lower than costs at Seattle Pacific University ($13,850 vs. $15,498)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College than Seattle Pacific University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 25.7% larger than aid received Seattle Pacific University ($35,270 vs. $28,070)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at Seattle Pacific University (1145) is 20 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming SPU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at SPU (3.53)
  • SPU has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than St. Mary's College (81.1%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Seattle Pacific University (79% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $700 more per year than SPU graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $50,400)
  • Seattle Pacific University students graduate with a $1,397 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($25,603 vs. $27,000)
  • SPU graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($264 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SPU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 82%)

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