College of the Holy Cross vs Notre Dame

College of the Holy Cross and University of Notre Dame, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Holy Cross, a Jesuit college in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a tight-knit community and a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Notre Dame, a Catholic research university in South Bend, Indiana, is renowned for its strong academic programs, vibrant campus life, and storied football tradition. With acceptance rates of 33% and 18%, respectively, these universities attract high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds. While Holy Cross excels in the social sciences and humanities, Notre Dame offers a wider range of majors, including engineering, business, and science. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic future.
College of the Holy Cross logo

College of the Holy Cross

University of Notre Dame logo

University of Notre Dame

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Notre Dame, Indiana
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 42.9% 15.1%
Application fees $60
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1240 - 1420 1410 - 1550
ACT range 28 - 32 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 33.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 36.0%
Total number of applicants 6,498 23,642
Total number of admissions given out 2,786 3,562
Admitted students who chose to enroll 821 2,059
Yield rate 29.5% 57.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $74,520 $78,347
Average net price $29,198 $30,513
Tuition $55,800 $58,336
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,800

Meal plan: $7,280
$16,304
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

63.0%
Average amount $33,661
57.0%
Average amount $46,306
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,151
30.0%
Average amount $4,134
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $2,342
12.0%
Average amount $8,564

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,029
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
8,973
Men 51.6% Women 48.4%
Graduate students N/A 4,166
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 93.1%
International students 3.1% 12.1%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,619 6,919
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Illinois California Texas Indiana New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.6% 95.9%
Dropout rate 1.8% 3.9%
Transferred out 4.7% N/A
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 (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,439
  • Year 2: $123,601
  • Year 3: $135,572
Finance and Financial Management Services (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,269
  • Year 2: $89,674
  • Year 3: $126,773
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,074
  • Year 2: $108,092
  • Year 3: $123,182
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,638
  • Year 2: $85,243
  • Year 3: $110,135
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,593
  • Year 2: $89,968
  • Year 3: $105,831
Mathematics and Statistics, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,224
  • Year 2: $80,273
  • Year 3: $99,815
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,618
  • Year 2: $86,375
  • Year 3: $95,904
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,178
  • Year 2: $74,307
  • Year 3: $92,866
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,118
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $87,393
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,070
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,821

Compare Similar Colleges

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