College of the Holy Cross vs Canisius College

College of the Holy Cross and Canisius College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Holy Cross, a Jesuit college in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a lower acceptance rate (33%) compared to Canisius' 75% acceptance rate in Buffalo, New York. Holy Cross students primarily pursue degrees in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields, while Canisius offers a wider range of programs, including business, education, and health professions. Holy Cross' student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate population of around 3,000 compared to Canisius' 2,200. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Holy Cross at 93% and Canisius at 86%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and determine which college better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Canisius College	College of the Holy Cross
Overview
Location	Buffalo, New York	Worcester, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: 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
Students retention rate	82.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.5%	42.9%
Application fees		$60
SAT range	1050 - 1250	1240 - 1420
ACT range	24 - 31	28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	30.0%	40.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	3,668	6,498
Total number of admissions given out	2,988	2,786
Admitted students who chose to enroll	456	821
Yield rate	15.3%	29.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,410	$74,520
Average net price	$18,486	$29,198
Tuition	$29,300	$55,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,118 Meal plan: $5,876	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $21,184	63.0% Average amount $33,661
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,050	38.0% Average amount $5,151
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $12,404	13.0% Average amount $2,342

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,866 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
Graduate students	764 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	4.8%	3.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	835	2,619
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	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Communication and Journalism	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	92.6%
Dropout rate	6.7%	1.8%
Transferred out	22.5%	4.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,322 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $66,931 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $66,540 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,832 Year 2: $54,835 Year 3: $61,590 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $56,405 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,188 Year 2: $50,395 Year 3: $53,426 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,460 Year 2: $42,961 Year 3: $51,781 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,642 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,476 Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,112 Year 2: $47,553 Year 3: $48,753 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,242 Year 2: $45,383 Year 3: $47,708 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,276 Year 2: $44,920 Year 3: $46,851	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

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