1. Home
  2. Education
  3. College Admissions

Holy Cross College Profile - SAT Scores, Costs and Admissions Data

By Allen Grove, About.com

College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross

GeorgeThree / Flickr

Holy Cross Description:

The College of the Holy Cross is a highly selective liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Holy Cross has an impressive retention and graduation rate, with well over 90% of entering students earning a degree within six years. The college was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, and the school's 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio means that students will have a lot of personal interaction with their professors. Founded by the Jesuits in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England.

Admissions Data (2008):

Enrollment (2007):

  • Total Enrollment: 2,847 (all undergraduate)
  • Gender Breakdown: 44% Male / 56% Female
  • 99% Full-time

Costs (2008 - 09):

  • Tuition and Fees: $37,242
  • Books: $700
  • Room and Board: $10,260
  • Other Expenses: $900
  • Total Cost: $49,102

Holy Cross Financial Aid (2006 - 07):

  • Percentage of Students Receiving Aid: 62%
  • Percentage of Students Receiving Types of Aid
    • Federal Grants: 13%
    • State / Local Grants: 7%
    • Institutional Grants: 48%
    • Loans: 50%
  • Average Amount of Aid
    • Federal Grants: $5,140
    • State / Local Grants: $1,342
    • Institutional Grants: $21,672
    • Loans: $4,090

Most Popular Majors:

Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English, History, Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish,

Data Source:

National Center for Educational Statistics

Holy Cross Mission Statement:

complete mission statement available athttp://www.holycross.edu/abouthc/president/mission/

"The College of the Holy Cross is, by tradition and choice, a Jesuit liberal arts college serving the Catholic community, American society, and the wider world. To participate in the life of Holy Cross is to accept an invitation to join in dialogue about basic human questions: What is the moral character of learning and teaching? How do we find meaning in life and history? What are our obligations to one another? What is our special responsibility to the world's poor and powerless?

As a liberal arts college, Holy Cross pursues excellence in teaching, learning, and research. All who share its life are challenged to be open to new ideas, to be patient with ambiguity and uncertainty, to combine a passion for truth with respect for the views of others. Informed by the presence of diverse interpretations of the human experience, Holy Cross seeks to build a community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility. Because the search for meaning and value is at the heart of the intellectual life, critical examination of fundamental religious and philosophical questions is integral to liberal arts education. Dialogue about these questions among people from diverse academic disciplines and religious traditions requires everyone to acknowledge and respect differences. Dialogue also requires us to remain open to that sense of the whole which calls us to transcend ourselves and challenges us to seek that which might constitute our common humanity.

The faculty and staff of Holy Cross, now primarily lay and religiously and culturally diverse, also affirm the mission of Holy Cross as a Jesuit college. As such, Holy Cross seeks to exemplify the longstanding dedication of the Society of Jesus to the intellectual life and its commitment to the service of faith and promotion of justice. The College is dedicated to forming a community which supports the intellectual growth of all its members while offering them opportunities for spiritual and moral development. In a special way, the College must enable all who choose to do so to encounter the intellectual heritage of Catholicism, to form an active worshipping community, and to become engaged in the life and work of the contemporary church..."

Explore College Admissions

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. College Admissions
  4. Choosing a College
  5. College Profiles
  6. Holy Cross Profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for The College of the Holy Cross>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.