Private nonprofit · University

Fairfield University

Fairfield, Connecticut · Large suburb

#3 for grad earnings in Connecticut#4 graduation rate in Connecticut#5 most selective in Connecticut
33.3%
Admit rate
$48,095
Avg net price
84%
Graduation rate
$88,794
Median earnings

Fairfield University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Fairfield, Connecticut (large suburb setting), enrolling 5,373 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 5,373 undergradsLarge suburbVery selective · 33% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Fairfield University's admitted students.

Admit rate
33.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1260–1390
Avg GPA
3.76

Enter a test score to see where you land against Fairfield University's admitted students.

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

About Fairfield, Connecticut

Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. In 1635, Puritans and Congregationalists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reform, and sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. In May 2012, Moody's Investors Service revised the Town of Fairfield's $192 million general obligation bond debt from negative to stable. In June 2012, Moody's awarded Fairfield with a Moody's Aaa Bond rating, which it maintains to this date. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
20 miles to Tweed New Haven (HVN)

How Fairfield University compares

Selectivity33.3%

More selective than 92% · #5 most selective of 24 in Connecticut

SAT average1335

Higher than 83%

Graduation rate84%

Higher than 92% · #4 of 26 in Connecticut

First-year retention91%

Higher than 88%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$88,794

Higher than 95% · #3 of 25 in Connecticut

Average net price$48,095

Cheaper than 1% · #26 cheapest of 26 in Connecticut

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment5,373

Larger than 79%

Percentiles compare Fairfield University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Connecticut.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,846students
  • Undergraduate5,37378%
  • Graduate1,47322%

Undergraduates by gender

5,373undergrads
  • Women3,46965%
  • Men1,90435%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White79%
  • Black1.3%
  • Hispanic8.9%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial8.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,373
Graduate enrollment
1,473
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
7%
First-generation students
17%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$117,152
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$119,682
Endowment
$411,058,000

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 1,436 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Connecticut15%
  • Other U.S. states84%
  • International1.1%

A national draw — only 15% of first-years come from Connecticut; 84% arrive from other states.

1% 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
33.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1260–1390
SAT average
1335
SAT reading
630–700
SAT math
630–690
ACT composite
29–32
Average GPA
3.76

Cost

In-state tuition
$58,350
Room & board
$19,838
Books & supplies
$1,175
Total cost of attendance
$76,074
Average net price
$48,095

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)
84%
Graduated on time (4 years)
82%
First-year retention
91%
Transferred to another college
12%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$73,693
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$88,794
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
80%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
82%
Low-income (Pell)
79%
First-generation
81%

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
3,959
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
74%
Housing charge (year)
$10,700
Meal plan (year)
$7,700
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
505 (245 men · 260 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 (12)

Rowing90
Lacrosse88
Soccer66
Swimming and Diving (combined)53
Baseball38
Basketball34
Field Hockey28
Cross Country26
Softball23
Tennis21
Volleyball20
Golf18

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
14
Property offenses (2022–2024)
7

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (6,864 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.

7.0reported offenses a year
4.7 violent a year2.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
2.3
Rape
2.0
Burglary
1.7
Aggravated assault
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3
Arson
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
$33,302
$30–48k
$35,155
$48–75k
$26,953
$75–110k
$44,077
$110k+
$50,773

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
$109,001

$26,953/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.

95%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$25,486
average award, among those who get one

Fairfield University discounts heavily: 95% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $25,486. 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 1,324 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)
$88,794
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
29%
Out-earn a HS grad
85%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.9 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
$90,193
Men
$82,897

Women out-earn men by $7,296 (9%) 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
83°F
Winter low
24°F
Annual rain
44.1″
Annual snow
33.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem AP, CT US station (6.6 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 Fairfield University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Fairfield University side by side →

Colleges near Fairfield University

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.