Saint Mary's College of California vs Reed College

Saint Mary's College of California and Reed College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Mary's, a Catholic liberal arts college, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, predominantly comprising female undergraduates. Its popular majors include business, psychology, and biology. In contrast, Reed, a private liberal arts college, has a lower acceptance rate and a smaller, more diverse student body. It is known for its strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with popular majors such as English, economics, and biology. Both colleges offer a strong foundation in liberal arts education, but their unique characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which college better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Reed College	Saint Mary's College of California
Overview
Location	Portland, Oregon	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	88.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	43.8%	70.1%
Application fees	$75	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	7,010	3,523
Total number of admissions given out	3,071	2,469
Admitted students who chose to enroll	502	421
Yield rate	16.3%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,020	$71,116
Average net price	$33,056	$25,022
Tuition	$62,420	$51,568
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $7,510	$16,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	58.0% Average amount $43,945	100.0% Average amount $37,096
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $4,374	75.0% Average amount $5,473
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $19,335	3.0% Average amount $19,233

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,548 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	2,199 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	18 Men 61.1% Women 38.9%	966 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	88.7%	13.9%
International students	8.8%	2.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,113	1,522
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Oregon Washington New York Colorado	California Washington Colorado Oregon Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology	Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.7%	73.1%
Dropout rate	8.2%	26.3%
Transferred out	17.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $26,088 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,874 Year 3: $23,169 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,125 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 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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