College of the Holy Cross vs Marquette

College of the Holy Cross and Marquette University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Holy Cross, a Jesuit college in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a lower acceptance rate (33%) and a smaller student body (3,000 undergraduates) compared to Marquette, a Jesuit university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which has a higher acceptance rate (73%) and a larger student body (11,000 undergraduates). While Holy Cross is known for its strong liberal arts curriculum, Marquette offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including engineering, nursing, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' differences in popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
College of the Holy Cross logo

College of the Holy Cross

Marquette University logo

Marquette University

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Campus setting City: Midsize City: 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% 89.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 42.9% 86.3%
Application fees $60 $50
SAT range 1240 - 1420 1180 - 1360
ACT range 28 - 32 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 37.0%
Total number of applicants 6,498 16,270
Total number of admissions given out 2,786 14,034
Admitted students who chose to enroll 821 1,657
Yield rate 29.5% 11.8%
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 Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $74,520 $65,562
Average net price $29,198 $33,566
Tuition $55,800 $44,970
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,800

Meal plan: $7,280
Room/dormitory: $9,280

Meal plan: $4,860
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

63.0%
Average amount $33,661
100.0%
Average amount $28,052
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,151
45.0%
Average amount $5,497
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $2,342
9.0%
Average amount $19,168

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,029
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
7,660
Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students N/A 3,660
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 3.1% 3.3%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,619 5,295
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
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.6% 81.4%
Dropout rate 1.8% 18.3%
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
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $163,702
  • Year 3: $192,167
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,430
  • Year 2: $130,858
  • Year 3: $154,075
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $105,083
  • Year 3: $117,488
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,808
  • Year 2: $105,529
  • Year 3: $110,957
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,780
  • Year 2: $98,506
  • Year 3: $104,475
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,371
  • Year 2: $88,803
  • Year 3: $96,511
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,252
  • Year 2: $87,309
  • Year 3: $95,662
Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $85,078
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,686
  • Year 2: $73,446
  • Year 3: $77,783
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,717
  • Year 2: $63,115
  • Year 3: $75,024

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