St. Mary's vs. Lafayette College

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

St. Mary's Lafayette College
Location St. Mary's City, MD Easton, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,587 2,764
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #148 #66
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu lafayette.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's Lafayette College
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $61,482
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $61,482
Room & Board $14,672 $18,640
Avg Net Price $20,679 $34,728
Avg Grant Aid $11,016 $44,126
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 52%

Admission

St. Mary's Lafayette College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,109 9,874
Admitted 2,344 3,107
Acceptance Rate 75.4% 31.5%
Enrolled % 18.9% 22.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.53
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 24/30 30/33
SAT Range 1110/1330 1340/1490
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 Jan 15, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

St. Mary's Lafayette College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's Lafayette College
Graduation Rate 79% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $81,000
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $210 $268

Diversity

St. Mary's Lafayette College
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 0% 0%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 67%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 1% 9%
% Unknown Race 3% 7%

Students

St. Mary's Lafayette College
% In-State 86% 13%
% Out-of-State 14% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lafayette College is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (2,764 students vs. 1,587 students)

St. Mary's vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

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

  • Lafayette College is 407.4% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($61,482.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 118.1% higher at Lafayette College than St Mary's College of Maryland ($61,482.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Lafayette College ($20,679 vs. $34,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Mary's College of Maryland are 27% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($14,672 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Lafayette College (98% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 300.6% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($44,126 vs. $11,016)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 149 points higher than at St. Mary's (1145)
  • Incoming Lafayette College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at St. Mary's (25)
  • Accepted freshman Lafayette College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (75.4%) than Lafayette College (31.5%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than St Mary's College of Maryland (88% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $29,500 more per year than St. Mary's graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $51,500)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $5,630 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($20,370 vs. $26,000)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($210 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 82%)

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