USD vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Should I go to University of San Diego or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USD or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 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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University of San Diego vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota comparison
University of San Diego Saint Mary's University of Minnesota College 3 College 4
University of San Diego Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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Overview

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Location San Diego, CA Winona, MN
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 9,110 3,831
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sandiego.edu smumn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Tuition (In State) $55,690 $42,500
Tuition (Out of State) $55,690 $42,500
Room & Board $18,084 $10,720
Avg Net Price $37,675 $22,518
Avg Grant Aid $37,444 $32,352
% Receiving Grant Aid 84% 100%

Admission

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,953 1,350
Admitted 7,458 1,199
Acceptance Rate 46.7% 88.8%
Enrolled % 16.7% 22.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.49
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2025 May 1, 2026

Academics

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (48%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Biology (5%)

Outcomes

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Graduation Rate 75% 62%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,200 $48,400
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,904 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $236 $240

Diversity

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
% Men 15% 20%
% Women 22% 52%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 59%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 19% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 1%
% International 7% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 23%

Students

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
% In-State 51% 51%
% Out-of-State 43% 45%

Campus

USD Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Diego is larger than than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota based on total student enrollment (9,110 students vs. 3,831 students)

USD vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USD or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota?

  • University of San Diego is 31% more expensive to attend than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota for in-state tuition ($55,690.00 vs. $42,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31% higher at USD than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota ($55,690.00 vs. $42,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota than USD ($22,518 vs. $37,675)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota are 68.7% lower than costs at University of San Diego ($10,720 vs. $18,084)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota than University of San Diego (100% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 15.7% larger than aid received Saint Mary's University of Minnesota ($37,444 vs. $32,352)

USD vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of San Diego (1236) is 190 points higher than at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (1046)
  • Incoming USD students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (23)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (3.49)
  • Saint Mary's University of Minnesota has a higher acceptance rate (88.8%) than USD (46.7%)

USD vs. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USD or Saint Mary's University of Minnesota? 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 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and USD.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (75% vs. 62%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $21,800 more per year than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $48,400)
  • University of San Diego students graduate with a $346 lower median federal student loan debt than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates. ($22,904 vs. $23,250)
  • USD graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Saint Mary's University of Minnesota graduates. ($236 vs. $240)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Mary's University of Minnesota students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 72%)

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