College of the Holy Cross vs Furman University

College of the Holy Cross and Furman University, both esteemed private 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. Furman, located in Greenville, South Carolina, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 40% and a smaller undergraduate population of around 2,700. While Holy Cross is known for its strong liberal arts curriculum and emphasis on social justice, Furman excels in business, sciences, and the arts. Both universities offer a diverse range of majors, with Holy Cross being particularly strong in the humanities and social sciences, while Furman offers a wider selection of STEM and pre-professional programs. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Holy Cross	Furman University
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Greenville, South Carolina
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%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	42.9%	71.4%
Application fees	$60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $55
SAT range	1240 - 1420	1240 - 1422
ACT range	28 - 32	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	6,498	7,174
Total number of admissions given out	2,786	5,119
Admitted students who chose to enroll	821	656
Yield rate	29.5%	12.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,520	$69,880
Average net price	$29,198	$33,999
Tuition	$55,800	$52,992
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280	Room/dormitory: $7,496 Meal plan: $6,202
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $33,661	96.0% Average amount $33,191
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,151	28.0% Average amount $5,170
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $2,342	5.0% Average amount $20,783

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	2,307 Men 40.1% Women 59.9%
Graduate students	N/A	156 Men 20.5% Women 79.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	67.8%
International students	3.1%	3.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,619	2,406
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Visual & Performing Arts	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.6%	81.9%
Dropout rate	1.8%	2.4%
Transferred out	4.7%	15.7%
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: $47,571 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $56,414 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,227 Year 2: $40,140 Year 3: $52,939 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,108 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $50,384 Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $61,615 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,357 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Religion/Religious Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,821 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: N/A

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