St. Mary's vs. WCU

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

 St. Mary's WCU
Location St. Mary's City, MD West Chester, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,587 17,076
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #148 #532
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's WCU
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $19,290
Room & Board $14,672 $12,474
Avg Net Price $20,679 $21,684
Avg Grant Aid $11,016 $5,503
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 70%

Admission

 St. Mary's WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,109 16,467
Admitted 2,344 13,042
Acceptance Rate 75.4% 79.2%
Enrolled % 18.9% 23.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 24/28
SAT Range 1110/1330 1100/1270
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

Academics

 St. Mary's WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's WCU
Graduation Rate 79% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $210 $242

Diversity

 St. Mary's WCU
% Men 0% 5%
% Women 0% 11%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 78%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

 St. Mary's WCU
% In-State 86% 87%
% Out-of-State 14% 13%

Campus

 St. Mary's WCU
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

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (17,076 students vs. 1,587 students)

St. Mary's vs. WCU Cost Comparison

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

  • St Mary's College of Maryland is 57% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($12,116.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.1% higher at St. Mary's than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($28,192.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than WCU ($20,679 vs. $21,684)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are 17.6% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,474 vs. $14,672)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (98% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Mary's College of Maryland students is 100.2% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($11,016 vs. $5,503)

St. Mary's vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 73 points higher than at WCU (1072)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at WCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at WCU (3.43)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (79.2%) than St. Mary's (75.4%)

St. Mary's vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (79% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from St Mary's College of Maryland earn on average $2,500 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($51,500 vs. $49,000)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $3,130 lower median federal student loan debt than WCU graduates. ($20,370 vs. $23,500)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than WCU graduates. ($210 vs. $242)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 75%)

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