Private nonprofit · College
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, Massachusetts · Large suburb
- 85.3%
- Admit rate
- $17,545
- Avg net price
- 68%
- Graduation rate
- $51,540
- Median earnings
College of Our Lady of the Elms is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Chicopee, Massachusetts (large suburb setting), enrolling 949 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.
About Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. "Chicopee" is derived from the Nipmuc language. It is likely derived from chekee ("violently") and -pe (root suffix used in water place names) or chikkupee ("of red cedar"), an adjectival form of chikkup ("red cedar"). The Great New England Air Show is an annual two-day air show held at Westover Air Reserve Base. The show has featured the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy's Blue Angels. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Springfield, MA
- To the ocean
- 55 miles
- Nearest airport
- 15 miles to Bradley (BDL) · major hub
How College of Our Lady of the Elms compares
More selective than 35% · #51 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts
Higher than 75% · #35 of 66 in Massachusetts
Higher than 49%
Higher than 42% · #51 of 67 in Massachusetts
Cheaper than 62% · #10 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts
Lower than 34%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 36%
Percentiles compare College of Our Lady of the Elms with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate94978%
- Graduate26622%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women73377%
- Men21623%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White45%
- Black13%
- Hispanic28%
- Asian2.3%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 949
- Graduate enrollment
- 266
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 45%
- First-generation students
- 35%
- Students over 25
- 26%
- Median family income
- $35,491
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $69,237
- Endowment
- $24,403,965
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 196 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Massachusetts71%
- Other U.S. states26%
- International3.1%
Most first-years stay in state — College of Our Lady of the Elms draws overwhelmingly from Massachusetts.
3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 85.3%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $43,325
- Room & board
- $15,605
- Books & supplies
- $1,400
- Total cost of attendance
- $54,027
- Average net price
- $17,545
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 68%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 60%
- First-year retention
- 76%
- Transferred to another college
- 24%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $54,087
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,540
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Students with federal loans
- 71%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 54%
About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 402
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 42%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division III without football
- Varsity athletes
- 211 (99 men · 112 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (10)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 8 campuses (1,268 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$17,539/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
College of Our Lady of the Elms discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $27,057. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 144 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $51,540
- Typical debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 49%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 74%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 16°F
- Annual rain
- 45.2″
- Annual snow
- 51.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Westfield Barnes Muni AP, MA US station (6 mi from campus).
What College of Our Lady of the Elms graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to College of Our Lady of the Elms
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare College of Our Lady of the Elms side by side →
Brenau University
Gainesville, Georgia · Small city · 50 mi to Atlanta
- Students
- 1,029
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1079
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $54k
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, Michigan · Midsize city · 2 mi to Grand Rapids
- Students
- 1,083
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1025
- GPA
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- Earnings
- $50k
Avila University
Kansas City, Missouri · Large city · 13 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 1,312
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 972
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $53k
Centenary University
Hackettstown, New Jersey · Large suburb · 38 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 910
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $54k
Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana · Small city · 23 mi to South Bend
- Students
- 773
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 950
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $52k
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois · Large suburb · 17 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 820
- Admission
- 85%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1157
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $56k
Colleges near College of Our Lady of the Elms
DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology
West Springfield, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 21 students
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield, MA · Public · Associate · 4,759 students
American International College
Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,017 students
Springfield College
Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,751 students
Springfield College-Regional Online and Continuing Education
Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 176 students
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke, MA · Public · Associate · 3,591 students
Western New England University
Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,603 students
Bay Path University
Longmeadow, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,108 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













