St. Mary's University vs. SU

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

 St. Mary's University SU
Location San Antonio, TX Georgetown, TX
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 3,411 1,457
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #634 #189
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stmarytx.edu southwestern.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's University SU
Tuition (In State) $35,144 $50,558
Tuition (Out of State) $35,144 $50,558
Room & Board $11,720 $13,628
Avg Net Price $20,562 $30,687
Avg Grant Aid $26,045 $32,956
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 99%

Admission

 St. Mary's University SU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,203 6,585
Admitted 4,628 2,573
Acceptance Rate 88.9% 39.1%
Enrolled % 11.5% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 16/23 24/30
SAT Range 980/1150 1170/1340
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, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 St. Mary's University SU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (28%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's University SU
Graduation Rate 58% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $57,400
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,893
Median Loan Payment $279 $278

Diversity

 St. Mary's University SU
% Men 16% 0%
% Women 21% 0%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 62%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 70% 22%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 4%
% International 7% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 St. Mary's University SU
% In-State 91% 89%
% Out-of-State 5% 9%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • St. Mary's University is larger than than SU based on total student enrollment (3,411 students vs. 1,457 students)

St. Mary's University vs. SU Cost Comparison

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

  • Southwestern University is 43.9% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's University for in-state tuition ($50,558.00 vs. $35,144.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.9% higher at SU than St. Mary's University ($50,558.00 vs. $35,144.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St. Mary's University than SU ($20,562 vs. $30,687)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St. Mary's University are 16.3% lower than costs at Southwestern University ($11,720 vs. $13,628)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern University than St. Mary's University (99% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southwestern University students is 26.5% larger than aid received St. Mary's University ($32,956 vs. $26,045)

St. Mary's University vs. SU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Southwestern University (1168) is 130 points higher than at St. Mary's University (1038)
  • Incoming SU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's University (23)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's University students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at SU (3.5)
  • St. Mary's University has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than SU (39.1%)

St. Mary's University vs. SU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at SU is higher than St. Mary's University (73% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Southwestern University earn on average $7,400 more per year than St. Mary's University graduates after ten years. ($57,400 vs. $50,000)
  • Southwestern University students graduate with a $107 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's University graduates. ($26,893 vs. $27,000)
  • SU graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's University graduates. ($278 vs. $279)
  • More SU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's University students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 59%)

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