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.
A directional estimate — not a prediction
Admitted students at Holy Cross typically demonstrate exceptional academic preparation across standardized testing measures. The middle 50% of enrolled students score between 1250-1420 on the SAT, with a median of 1354. SAT Math scores range from 620-700, while SAT Verbal scores span 630-720, indicating balanced strength across both sections. ACT scores for enrolled students range from 28-32 with a median of 30. These ranges place Holy Cross among institutions with the highest academic standards nationally, ranking at the 98.0th percentile for both SAT and ACT performance. Compared to peer institutions with a median SAT of 1256, Holy Cross enrolled students score 98 points higher, demonstrating significantly more competitive academic preparation. The academic profile reflects students who have consistently performed at the highest levels throughout their high school careers. Students scoring below 1250 SAT or 28 ACT should expect to face significant competitive disadvantage but are not automatically excluded from consideration. Those whose scores fall within the middle 50% ranges are academically competitive for admission, though test scores represent only one component of the holistic evaluation process. Prospective applicants should consider whether their academic profile aligns with these ranges when determining application strategy and building balanced college lists.
Understanding institutional priorities and student support
Holy Cross enrolls a student body that includes diverse backgrounds while maintaining high academic standards. The institution serves 14.7% Pell-eligible students, indicating that students from lower-income families comprise a smaller but meaningful portion of the student population. First-generation college students represent 16.6% of enrolled students, showing the college's commitment to supporting students whose parents did not complete four-year degrees. Transfer students comprise just 2.1% of enrollment, indicating that Holy Cross primarily serves students who begin their college careers as first-year students. This composition suggests that while Holy Cross maintains highly selective admission standards, the institution does enroll students from varied economic and educational backgrounds. The relatively lower Pell share compared to public institutions reflects the financial realities of attending a private liberal arts college, while the meaningful first-generation representation shows institutional commitment to educational access. Students from lower-income families should consider the 14.7% Pell share when assessing whether they will find community at Holy Cross, while also evaluating the financial implications carefully. First-generation college students should find encouragement in the 16.6% representation among their peers.
Given Holy Cross's 21.1% acceptance rate, most applicants face significant admission uncertainty. The alternatives below offer comparable career outcomes with different admission, geographic, or cost profiles.
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Students who enroll at Holy Cross demonstrate exceptional persistence and degree completion outcomes. The first-year retention rate reaches 93.0%, significantly above the peer median of 83.1%, indicating that students who begin at Holy Cross overwhelmingly continue their studies. The six-year graduation rate of 89.6% substantially exceeds typical completion outcomes and reflects strong institutional support systems for degree completion. Pell-eligible students graduate at a rate of 87.9%, representing a gap of just 1.7 percentage points below the overall completion rate. This minimal Pell gap indicates that Holy Cross provides effective support for lower-income students to succeed academically and complete their degrees at rates nearly identical to their more affluent peers. The combination of high retention and completion rates suggests that students who gain admission to Holy Cross are well-prepared for the academic rigor and find the support necessary to persist through graduation. Prospective students should view these retention and completion rates as indicators of the academic environment and support systems they can expect to experience. The narrow Pell gap should provide confidence to lower-income students that Holy Cross successfully supports degree completion across economic backgrounds.
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