St. Mary's vs. UNCW

Should I go to St Mary's College of Maryland or University of North Carolina at Wilmington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's or UNCW 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

ASU UNC Charlotte UNC Chapel Hill ECU UNCG NC State WCU UD University of North Carolina at Asheville Auburn UofSC UMBC
St Mary's College of Maryland vs. University of North Carolina at Wilmington comparison
St Mary's College of Maryland University of North Carolina at Wilmington College 3 College 4
St Mary's College of Maryland University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 St. Mary's UNCW
Location St. Mary's City, MD Wilmington, NC
Setting Distant Rural Midsize City
Enrollment 1,520 17,843
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #377
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu uncw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's UNCW
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $4,443
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $19,063
Room & Board $14,146 $12,120
Avg Net Price $20,714 $18,709
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $6,217
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 56%

Admission

 St. Mary's UNCW
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 16,860
Admitted 2,268 11,605
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 68.8%
Enrolled % 18.1% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 28/30 24/29
SAT Range 1130/1370 1220/1370
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 St. Mary's UNCW
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's UNCW
Graduation Rate 79% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $210 $211

Diversity

 St. Mary's UNCW
% Men 41% 34%
% Women 59% 66%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 78%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 St. Mary's UNCW
% In-State 87% 80%
% Out-of-State 12% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (17,843 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. UNCW Cost Comparison

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

  • St Mary's College of Maryland is 172.7% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($12,116.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.9% higher at St. Mary's than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($28,192.00 vs. $19,063.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Wilmington than St. Mary's ($18,709 vs. $20,714)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Wilmington are 16.7% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,120 vs. $14,146)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (94% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Mary's College of Maryland students is 65.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($10,265 vs. $6,217)

St. Mary's vs. UNCW Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1162) is 17 points higher than at St. Mary's (1145)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at UNCW (25)
  • Accepted freshman UNCW students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (77.3%) than UNCW (68.8%)

St. Mary's vs. UNCW Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (79% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from St Mary's College of Maryland earn on average $6,800 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($51,500 vs. $44,700)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $130 lower median federal student loan debt than UNCW graduates. ($20,370 vs. $20,500)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than UNCW graduates. ($210 vs. $211)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNCW students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 64%)

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