Private nonprofit · College

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts · Midsize city

17.6%
Admit rate
$38,782
Avg net price
87%
Graduation rate
$90,543
Median earnings

College of the Holy Cross is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Worcester, Massachusetts (midsize city setting), enrolling 3,106 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,106 undergradsMidsize cityVery selective · 18% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Patriot LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against College of the Holy Cross's admitted students.

Admit rate
17.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1240–1410
Avg GPA (est.)
3.84

Enter a test score to see where you land against College of the Holy Cross's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and College of the Holy Cross's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn. Much of Worcester's culture is synonymous with broader New England culture. The city's name is notoriously mispronounced by people unfamiliar with the city. As with the city in England, the first syllable of "cester" (castra) is left entirely unvoiced. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
Nearest big city
2 miles to Worcester, MA
To the ocean
36 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Worcester (ORH)

How College of the Holy Cross compares

Selectivity17.6%

More selective than 96% · #11 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1353

Higher than 85%

Graduation rate87%

Higher than 94% · #14 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention95%

Higher than 93%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$90,543

Higher than 95% · #11 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$38,782

Cheaper than 5% · #55 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment3,106

Larger than 70%

Percentiles compare College of the Holy Cross with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

3,106undergrads
  • Women1,63553%
  • Men1,47147%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black4.7%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian3.2%
  • Other or multiracial11%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,106
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
15%
First-generation students
17%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$106,778
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$111,267
Endowment
$1,109,264,540

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
17.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1240–1410
SAT average
1353
SAT reading
630–710
SAT math
610–700
ACT composite
27–32
Average GPA (estimated)
3.84

Cost

In-state tuition
$64,500
Room & board
$18,820
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$80,334
Average net price
$38,782

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)
87%
Graduated on time (4 years)
85%
First-year retention
95%
Transferred to another college
6%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$69,984
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$90,543
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
38%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
86%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
85%
Low-income (Pell)
92%
First-generation
91%

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
2,719
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
88%
Housing charge (year)
$9,900
Meal plan (year)
$7,850
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Patriot League
Varsity athletes
827 (453 men · 374 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 (14)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)206
Football100
Rowing94
Lacrosse82
Soccer67
Ice Hockey54
Swimming and Diving (combined)53
Baseball39
Basketball29
Field Hockey24
Golf23
Tennis23
Softball18
Volleyball15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
18
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,126 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.

8.0reported offenses a year
6.0 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
4.0
Rape
1.7
Arson
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3
Burglary
0.3

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.

< $30k
$14,343
$30–48k
$16,179
$48–75k
$12,682
$75–110k
$27,711
$110k+
$56,284

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.

Est. total to a degree
$51,181

$12,682/year × about 4.0 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.

58%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$39,249
average award, among those who get one

College of the Holy Cross discounts heavily: 58% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $39,249. 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 902 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)
$90,543
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
30%
Out-earn a HS grad
85%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$88,256
Men
$93,040

Men out-earn women by $4,784 (5%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
17°F
Annual rain
48.3″
Annual snow
72.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Worcester Rgnl AP, MA US station (4 mi from campus).

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 the Holy Cross

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare College of the Holy Cross side by side →

Colleges near College of the Holy Cross

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.