Davidson College vs College of the Holy Cross

Davidson College and College of the Holy Cross, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Davidson, located in Davidson, North Carolina, boasts a lower acceptance rate (22%) compared to Holy Cross's 34% in Worcester, Massachusetts. Davidson's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,893 compared to Holy Cross's 2,905. While both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, Davidson is known for its strengths in the natural sciences, while Holy Cross excels in the social sciences and humanities. Davidson's graduation rate is slightly higher at 89% compared to Holy Cross's 87%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Holy Cross	Davidson College
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Davidson, North 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
Students retention rate	96.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	42.9%	17.8%
Application fees	$60	$50
SAT range	1240 - 1420	N/A
ACT range	28 - 32	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%
Total number of applicants	6,498	6,434
Total number of admissions given out	2,786	1,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	821	547
Yield rate	29.5%	47.8%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,520	$73,200
Average net price	$29,198	$25,794
Tuition	$55,800	$54,460
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,800 Meal plan: $7,280	Room/dormitory: $7,700 Meal plan: $7,525
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $33,661	64.0% Average amount $47,889
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,151	10.0% Average amount $5,095
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $2,342	2.0% Average amount $33,219

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,029 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	1,973 Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	76.8%
International students	3.1%	8.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,619	1,830
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina Virginia Texas New Jersey Florida

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.6%	89.6%
Dropout rate	1.8%	10.0%
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	Economics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $60,797 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,388 Political Science and Government (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,752 Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $53,747 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $41,099 Year 2: $35,330 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,670 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $34,292 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Anthropology (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A History (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,075 Year 3: N/A

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