St. Mary's vs. Sweet Briar College

Comparable Facts

Compare St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD with Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is larger than Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (1,630 students vs. 444 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); Sweet Briar College is in Sweet Briar, VA (Small Suburban setting).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Sweet Briar College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: St. Mary's College of Maryland 10:1; Sweet Briar College 9:1.

St. Mary's vs. Sweet Briar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Sweet Briar College? 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 Sweet Briar College ($21,071 vs. $21,322).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sweet Briar College are 5.3% lower than at St. Mary's College of Maryland ($15,230 vs. $16,079).
• Sweet Briar College is 71% more expensive for in-state tuition than St. Mary's (about $10,862 more per year; $26,160.00 vs. $15,298.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 19.9% higher at St. Mary's than at Sweet Briar College (about $5,214 more per year; $31,374.00 vs. $26,160.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sweet Briar College than at St. Mary's College of Maryland (99% vs. 98%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Sweet Briar College students is 96.4% larger than aid received by St. Mary's College of Maryland students ($22,387 vs. $11,398).

St. Mary's vs. Sweet Briar College Admissions comparison

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

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at St. Mary's College of Maryland (1240) is 30 points higher than at Sweet Briar College (1210).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 1143/1340; Sweet Briar College 1100/1310.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 26/31.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's - Test optional; Sweet Briar College - Test optional.
• Typical fall application deadline: St. Mary's Jan 15, 2027.
• Accepted freshman Sweet Briar College students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at St. Mary's (3.45).
• Sweet Briar College has a higher acceptance rate (75.5%) than St. Mary's (68.6%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.3% at St. Mary's vs. 13.2% at Sweet Briar College.

St. Mary's vs. Sweet Briar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

• St. Mary's College of Maryland's six-year graduation rate (79%) is higher than Sweet Briar College's (70%).
• Graduates from St. Mary's College of Maryland earn a median of about $9,800 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates about ten years after starting college ($51,500 vs. $41,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, St. Mary's College of Maryland graduates have a $6,630 lower median loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates ($20,370 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, St. Mary's graduates have an estimated $69 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Sweet Briar College graduates ($210 vs. $279).
• More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sweet Briar College students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 72%)

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.