College of the Holy Cross vs Principia College

College of the Holy Cross and Principia College, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand ready to shape the academic journeys of prospective students. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they diverge in several key aspects. College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors in biology, economics, and psychology. Principia College, on the other hand, emphasizes a Christian Science perspective, offering programs in fields such as business, education, and nursing. With contrasting acceptance rates, graduation rates, and student demographics, these colleges cater to different student profiles. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Holy Cross	Principia College
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Elsah, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Rural: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	42.9%	84.1%
Application fees	$60
SAT range	1240 - 1420	1028 - 1193
ACT range	28 - 32	21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	30.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	13.0%
Total number of applicants	6,498	138
Total number of admissions given out	2,786	116
Admitted students who chose to enroll	821	79
Yield rate	29.5%	68.1%
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	$42,820
Average net price	$29,198	$19,816
Tuition	$55,800	$29,970
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280	Room/dormitory: $5,810 Meal plan: $6,460
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $33,661	94.0% Average amount $25,174
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,151	0.0% Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $2,342	94.0% Average amount $2,016

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	321 Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	92.7%
International students	3.1%	24.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,619	585
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Social Sciences Business
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	5:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.6%	85.9%
Dropout rate	1.8%	14.1%
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	N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

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College of the Holy Cross vs Principia College

College of the Holy Cross

Principia College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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