Pomona College vs College of the Holy Cross

Pomona College and College of the Holy Cross, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Pomona, nestled in Claremont, California, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 9%, while Holy Cross, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, maintains a slightly higher acceptance rate of 13%. Both colleges prioritize undergraduate education, with Pomona enrolling approximately 1,800 students and Holy Cross hosting around 2,900. While Pomona's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 12% of the population, Holy Cross fosters a strong sense of community among its predominantly Catholic student body. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions in popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors that will help you determine the ideal fit for your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
College of the Holy Cross logo

College of the Holy Cross

Pomona College logo

Pomona College

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Claremont, California
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% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 42.9% 6.6%
Application fees $60 $70
SAT range 1240 - 1420 1470 - 1570
ACT range 28 - 32 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 29.0%
Total number of applicants 6,498 11,620
Total number of admissions given out 2,786 771
Admitted students who chose to enroll 821 451
Yield rate 29.5% 58.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not 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 $74,873
Average net price $29,198 $17,000
Tuition $55,800 $56,284
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,800

Meal plan: $7,280
Room/dormitory: $10,666

Meal plan: $7,858
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

63.0%
Average amount $33,661
57.0%
Average amount $53,094
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,151
4.0%
Average amount $4,273
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $2,342
6.0%
Average amount $11,349

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,029
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
1,764
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 3.1% 11.3%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,619 1,612
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
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Psychology
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.6% 93.0%
Dropout rate 1.8% 4.3%
Transferred out 4.7% 2.5%
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
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,738
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: N/A
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,038
  • Year 2: $77,213
  • Year 3: N/A

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