Wheaton College vs. St. Mary's College

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

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
Location Wheaton, IL Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,885 1,519
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #166 #162
Religious Affiliation Undenominational Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wheaton.edu saintmarys.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
Tuition (In State) $41,990 $48,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,990 $48,880
Room & Board $11,690 $13,580
Avg Net Price $29,961 $27,960
Avg Grant Aid $24,272 $36,112
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,893 2,260
Admitted 1,674 1,896
Acceptance Rate 88.4% 83.9%
Enrolled % 30.1% 20.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.83
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/33 26/32
SAT Range 1250/1430 1100/1328
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
Graduation Rate 87% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,300 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $232 $279

Diversity

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
% Men 43% 1%
% Women 57% 99%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 78%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

Wheaton College St. Mary's College
% In-State 23% 35%
% Out-of-State 70% 64%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wheaton College is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (2,885 students vs. 1,519 students)

Wheaton College vs. St. Mary's College Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint Mary's College is 16.4% more expensive to attend than Wheaton College for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $41,990.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.4% higher at St. Mary's College than Wheaton College ($48,880.00 vs. $41,990.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Mary's College than Wheaton College ($27,960 vs. $29,961)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wheaton College are 16.2% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($11,690 vs. $13,580)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Wheaton College as Saint Mary's College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 48.8% larger than aid received Wheaton College ($36,112 vs. $24,272)

Wheaton College vs. St. Mary's College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wheaton College (1314) is 189 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Wheaton College students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Wheaton College (3.75)
  • Wheaton College has a higher acceptance rate (88.4%) than St. Mary's College (83.9%)

Wheaton College vs. St. Mary's College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Wheaton College is higher than Saint Mary's College (87% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Wheaton College earn on average $3,200 more per year than St. Mary's College graduates after ten years. ($54,300 vs. $51,100)
  • Wheaton College students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($22,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Wheaton College graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($232 vs. $279)
  • More Wheaton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's College students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 85%)

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