Oberlin College vs College of the Holy Cross

Oberlin College and College of the Holy Cross, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Oberlin, a liberal arts college in Ohio, boasts a lower acceptance rate (32%) compared to Holy Cross (44%) in Massachusetts. Oberlin's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and a larger population of students receiving financial aid. Holy Cross, a Jesuit college, excels in STEM fields, with popular majors in biology, chemistry, and computer science, while Oberlin's strengths lie in the social sciences and humanities, with popular majors in economics, history, and English. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Oberlin at 87% and Holy Cross at 92%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these colleges' unique offerings and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Holy Cross	Oberlin College
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Oberlin, Ohio
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	42.9%	34.3%
Application fees	$60	Undergraduate: $100 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1240 - 1420	1338 - 1460
ACT range	28 - 32	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	34.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	6,498	10,597
Total number of admissions given out	2,786	3,639
Admitted students who chose to enroll	821	864
Yield rate	29.5%	23.7%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,520	$73,914
Average net price	$29,198	$44,689
Tuition	$55,800	$59,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280	Room/dormitory: $8,858 Meal plan: $8,996
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $33,661	93.0% Average amount $34,607
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,151	34.0% Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $2,342	4.0% Average amount $4,519

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	2,942 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students	N/A	11 Men 72.7% Women 27.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.1%	11.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,619	2,694
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	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.6%	82.3%
Dropout rate	1.8%	17.3%
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	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,028 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $101,858 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,721 Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: $56,067 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,275 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $32,173 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,045 Year 3: $28,960 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,436 Year 2: $16,345 Year 3: $26,082 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: $22,024 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,910 Year 2: $19,531 Year 3: $19,799 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,902 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,622 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,992 Year 3: N/A

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