St. Mary's vs. PHC

Comparable Facts

Compare St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD with Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is larger than PHC based on total student enrollment (1,630 students vs. 425 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• St. Mary's College of Maryland is located in St. Mary's City, MD (Distant Rural setting); Patrick Henry College is in Purcellville, Virginia (Town Fringe setting).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Patrick Henry College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: St. Mary's College of Maryland 10:1; Patrick Henry College 14:1.

St. Mary's vs. PHC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or PHC? 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 St. Mary's College of Maryland than PHC ($21,071 vs. $25,869).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Patrick Henry College are 31.5% lower than at St. Mary's College of Maryland ($11,020 vs. $16,079).
• Patrick Henry College is 85.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than St. Mary's (about $13,127 more per year; $28,425.00 vs. $15,298.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 10.4% higher at St. Mary's than at Patrick Henry College (about $2,949 more per year; $31,374.00 vs. $28,425.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Patrick Henry College than at St. Mary's College of Maryland (100% vs. 98%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Patrick Henry College students is 17.1% larger than aid received by St. Mary's College of Maryland students ($13,345 vs. $11,398).

St. Mary's vs. PHC Admissions comparison

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

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Patrick Henry College (1330) is 90 points higher than at St. Mary's (1240).
• Incoming PHC students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 28 at St. Mary's).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 1143/1340; Patrick Henry College 1240/1420.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 26/31; Patrick Henry College 27/33.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's - Test optional; PHC - Required.
• Typical fall application deadline: St. Mary's Jan 15, 2027; PHC Jul 15, 2027.
• Accepted freshman PHC students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at St. Mary's (3.45).
• PHC has a higher acceptance rate (77.4%) than St. Mary's (68.6%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.3% at St. Mary's vs. 47.6% at PHC.

St. Mary's vs. PHC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

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.