Saint Mary's College of California vs Mills College

Saint Mary's College of California and Mills College, both located in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Saint Mary's, a Catholic liberal arts college, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Mills' more selective admissions (65%). While Saint Mary's student body is predominantly female (63%), Mills prides itself on its diverse student population, with a near-equal gender ratio. Both institutions excel in different areas of study; Saint Mary's is known for its strong business and nursing programs, while Mills is recognized for its arts and humanities offerings. With Saint Mary's slightly higher graduation rate (75%) compared to Mills' 69%, both colleges provide students with the necessary support to achieve academic success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' unique characteristics and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mills College	Saint Mary's College of California
Overview
Location	Oakland, California	Moraga, California
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	62.0%	88.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.8%	70.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1378 - 1413	N/A
ACT range	30 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%
Total number of applicants	847	3,523
Total number of admissions given out	676	2,469
Admitted students who chose to enroll	39	421
Yield rate	5.8%	17.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	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	$51,108	$71,116
Average net price	$25,283	$25,022
Tuition	$29,340	$51,568
Room & board	$14,369	$16,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $22,278	100.0% Average amount $37,096
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,389	75.0% Average amount $5,473
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $29,740	3.0% Average amount $19,233

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	446 Men 0.4% Women 99.6%	2,199 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	371 Men 18.3% Women 81.7%	966 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	13.9%
International students	1.1%	2.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	705	1,522
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Colorado Oregon Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Business Health Professions	Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.0%	73.1%
Dropout rate	36.0%	26.3%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business/Managerial Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,948 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $70,496 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,134 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $57,979 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,320 Year 2: $56,579 Year 3: $56,033 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,646 Year 3: $52,756 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,658 Year 3: $23,920 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,216 Year 2: $24,808 Year 3: $23,861 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $22,841 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,229 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: N/A Literature (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,533 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,339 Year 2: $108,331 Year 3: $119,946 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,181 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $87,697 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $86,536 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,207 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $72,426 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,833 Year 2: $61,814 Year 3: $68,615 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,015 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $67,476 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,013 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $61,957 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,519 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $60,193 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,458 Year 2: $52,562 Year 3: $54,948 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,425 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $50,097

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