Fairfield vs Lesley University

Fairfield University and Lesley University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Fairfield University, a Jesuit institution in Connecticut, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate compared to Lesley University, a private university in Massachusetts. While Fairfield University excels in business and engineering programs, Lesley University shines in education and psychology. Fairfield University's student body is predominantly white and Catholic, while Lesley University's student body is more diverse. To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Fairfield University logo

Fairfield University

Lesley University logo

Lesley University

Overview

Location Fairfield, Connecticut Cambridge, Massachusetts
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 89.0% 75.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 55.8% 86.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1230 - 1380 N/A
ACT range 27 - 31 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 7.0%
Total number of applicants 12,674 2,942
Total number of admissions given out 7,073 2,558
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,256 280
Yield rate 17.8% 10.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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 $71,860 $41,775
Average net price $44,723 $31,928
Tuition $52,070 $29,200
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,850

Meal plan: $6,260
Room/dormitory: $10,060

Meal plan: $6,900
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

94.0%
Average amount $24,501
100.0%
Average amount $16,316
Students receiving federal student loan 59.0%
Average amount $5,418
59.0%
Average amount $5,124
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $26,796
7.0%
Average amount $15,411

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,603
Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
1,757
Men 23.4% Women 76.6%
Graduate students 1,223
Men 33.1% Women 66.9%
2,253
Men 13.6% Women 86.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 84.3% N/A
International students 3.7% 3.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 3,467 799
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi New York New Jersey Connecticut Pennsylvania N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.9% 60.5%
Dropout rate 9.9% 12.4%
Transferred out 6.1% 26.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $138,401
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $145,506
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,773
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $112,599
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,022
  • Year 2: $64,608
  • Year 3: $82,549
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,774
  • Year 2: $76,749
  • Year 3: $80,847
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,102
  • Year 2: $68,363
  • Year 3: $80,620
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,421
  • Year 2: $62,343
  • Year 3: $76,092
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $75,987
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,682
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $75,412
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,920
  • Year 2: $52,607
  • Year 3: $71,880
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $61,516
  • Year 3: $70,429
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,807
  • Year 2: $85,760
  • Year 3: $80,016
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,822
  • Year 2: $53,298
  • Year 3: $57,561
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,186
  • Year 2: $50,606
  • Year 3: $57,321
Education, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,259
  • Year 2: $51,690
  • Year 3: $56,263
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,742
  • Year 2: $49,855
  • Year 3: $55,299
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,191
  • Year 2: $44,595
  • Year 3: $50,138
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,470
  • Year 2: $46,869
  • Year 3: $49,494
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,051
  • Year 2: $41,353
  • Year 3: $44,028
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,433
  • Year 3: $38,957
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,949
  • Year 2: $20,687
  • Year 3: $37,894

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs The University of Tampa The University of Tampa
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Bradley University Bradley University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Butler University Butler University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Anna Maria College Anna Maria College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Assumption University Assumption University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Emmanuel College Emmanuel College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Lesley University Lesley University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Merrimack College Merrimack College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Rowan University Rowan University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Monmouth University Monmouth University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Seton Hall University Seton Hall University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Iona College Iona College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Ithaca College Ithaca College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Manhattan College Manhattan College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Niagara University Niagara University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Saint John Fisher College Saint John Fisher College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Xavier University Xavier University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Duquesne University Duquesne University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs University of Scranton University of Scranton
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Bryant University Bryant University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs University of Rhode Island University of Rhode Island
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Roger Williams University Roger Williams University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Salve Regina University Salve Regina University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Saint Michael's College Saint Michael's College
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Hampton University Hampton University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Gonzaga University Gonzaga University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Marquette University Marquette University
Fairfield University Fairfield vs Husson University Husson University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Trinity Washington University Trinity Washington University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Anna Maria College Anna Maria College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Boston College Boston College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Brandeis University Brandeis University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Dean College Dean College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Emmanuel College Emmanuel College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Harvard University Harvard University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lesley University Lesley University vs Regis College Regis College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Stonehill College Stonehill College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Tufts University Tufts University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Lesley University Lesley University vs Davenport University Davenport University
Lesley University Lesley University vs St Catherine University St Catherine University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm College
Lesley University Lesley University vs Capital University Capital University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Point Park University Point Park University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Stanford University Stanford University
Lesley University Lesley University vs Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs