College Of The Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross admits approximately 21.1% of applicants, meaning roughly 1 in 5 applicants receives an offer of admission. This places Holy Cross in the highly selective category among American colleges and universities.

The peer median admission rate of 70.6% highlights the significant difference between Holy Cross's selectivity and typical four-year institutions, with Holy Cross being nearly 50 percentage points more selective than its peers. This level of selectivity means that qualified students face meaningful uncertainty in the admission process, and even those with strong academic credentials should approach Holy Cross as a reach or target school depending on their specific profile.

The institution's selectivity reflects its position as a prestigious liberal arts college with limited enrollment capacity. Students considering Holy Cross should build comprehensive college lists that include institutions with higher acceptance rates but similar academic quality and career outcomes.

Treating Holy Cross as a competitive admit regardless of qualifications represents sound application strategy, particularly given the unpredictable nature of highly selective admissions processes.

College of the Holy Cross's published cost of attendance reaches $76,510 per year, including $60,850 in tuition and fees, $17,750 for room and board, and $1,000 for books and supplies. However, the average student pays $36,868 after financial aid, representing savings of $39,642 through institutional aid programs.

This net price places Holy Cross $9,725 above the peer median of $27,143, reflecting the premium associated with selective private liberal arts education. The institution's financial aid programs provide meaningful support, though families should expect higher costs than typical four-year institutions.

Net prices vary significantly by family income, ranging from $14,900 for families earning under $30,000 to $51,228 for families earning over $110,000. The substantial aid provided to lower-income families helps maintain some economic diversity despite the institution's higher overall costs.

Families should carefully evaluate the total investment required and consider the strong earnings outcomes when assessing value. The higher costs reflect the intensive liberal arts experience and small class sizes typical of selective private colleges.

Holy Cross graduates demonstrate steady earnings growth over time with high confidence in reported outcomes. Median earnings rise from $69,984 six years after enrollment to $84,240 at eight years and $90,543 at ten years, representing 29.4% growth from the six-year mark.

These outcomes are based on cohorts of 162 graduates at six years, 219 at eight years, and 226 at ten years, providing strong confidence in the reported figures across all time horizons. While graduates earn $3,793 below expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing Holy Cross at the 38.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations, the absolute earnings level remains exceptional at the 97.0th percentile.

This pattern reflects the high performance expectations for selective private liberal arts colleges rather than underperformance. Approximately 19.5% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study based on program mix analysis, indicating the institution prepares students for both immediate workforce entry and advanced education.

The earnings trajectory shows consistent upward progression, suggesting graduates advance effectively in their chosen careers over the early-to-mid career period.

Holy Cross offers 12 bachelor's degree programs with sufficient federal earnings data for ranking analysis. English Language and Literature ranks #1 nationally with 67 graduates earning median salaries of $69,556 and achieving a perfect value score of 100.0.

Applied Economics ranks #33 nationally and #6 in Massachusetts, graduating 112 students with the highest median earnings of $96,461 and a value score of 84.2. American Government and Politics ranks #27 nationally and #3 in Massachusetts, graduating 111 students with median earnings of $68,772 and a value score of 91.2.

Psychology, General ranks #28 nationally and #3 in Massachusetts with 110 graduates earning $56,085. Biology, General ranks #15 nationally and #4 in Massachusetts, graduating 53 students with median earnings of $67,624.

Several programs achieve top rankings in their fields, with Catalan Language and Literature ranking #5 nationally and American History ranking #16 nationally, reflecting Holy Cross's strength across liberal arts disciplines.