College of the Holy Cross vs Franklin and Marshall College (FandM)

College of the Holy Cross and Franklin and Marshall College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Holy Cross, a Jesuit college in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a 33% acceptance rate and a student body of over 3,000 undergraduates. Franklin and Marshall, located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 40% and a smaller student body of around 2,300. While Holy Cross is known for its strong pre-professional programs, particularly in the sciences and business, Franklin and Marshall excels in the humanities and social sciences. Both colleges offer a diverse range of extracurricular activities and Division I athletic programs, ensuring a vibrant campus life. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two excellent institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates.

	College of the Holy Cross	Franklin and Marshall College
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	42.9%	37.5%
Application fees	$60	$60
SAT range	1240 - 1420	N/A
ACT range	28 - 32	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%
Total number of applicants	6,498	7,720
Total number of admissions given out	2,786	2,898
Admitted students who chose to enroll	821	510
Yield rate	29.5%	17.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,520	$80,618
Average net price	$29,198	$26,316
Tuition	$55,800	$63,216
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280	Room/dormitory: $8,722 Meal plan: $6,018
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $33,661	62.0% Average amount $50,026
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,151	53.0% Average amount $4,947
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $2,342	7.0% Average amount $16,505

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	2,145 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.1%	18.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,619	2,272
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Physical Science Ethnic Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.6%	82.8%
Dropout rate	1.8%	2.0%
Transferred out	4.7%	13.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,612 Year 2: $66,519 Year 3: $81,782 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,599 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $72,640 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,229 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $60,341 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,588 Year 2: $44,590 Year 3: $59,114 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,436 Year 2: $46,357 Year 3: $58,346 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,146 Year 2: $42,363 Year 3: $57,920 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,425 Year 2: $42,309 Year 3: $54,005 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,352 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $50,696 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,359 Year 2: $45,175 Year 3: $49,457 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,474 Year 2: $42,458 Year 3: $47,527	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,518 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $67,095 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,376 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $59,284 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,518 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,220 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $50,175 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,598 Year 2: $41,441 Year 3: $49,088 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,421 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $48,325 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $44,196 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,487 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $42,722 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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