Worcester, MA · Private · 3,106 undergraduates · urban
College of the Holy Cross
Highly selective
Holy Cross is an exclusively undergraduate Jesuit liberal-arts college built around close academic community and a highly residential hilltop campus.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in career outcomes, and strong in academic standing.- Admission
- 21.1% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 92%
8,670 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$90,543 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets College of the Holy Cross apart
Academic design
The Montserrat first-year program links seminar learning with residence and co-curricular experiences before students move further into their chosen liberal-arts fields.
Campus pattern
Residential life, campus traditions and community engagement make both The Hill and Worcester part of the broader undergraduate experience.
Career & value signal
Fenwick Hall and the surrounding hillside create the campus vista most closely associated with Holy Cross.
Can I get in?
21.1% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
8,670About 21 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 35% submitted an SAT, and 19% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for College of the Holy Cross, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What College of the Holy Cross weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The Montserrat first-year program links seminar learning with residence and co-curricular experiences before students move further into their chosen liberal-arts fields.
Make institutional fit specific
Holy Cross is an exclusively undergraduate Jesuit liberal-arts college built around close academic community and a highly residential hilltop campus.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at College of the Holy Cross
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Political Science and Government
Psychology, General
English Language and Literature, General
Sociology
What is campus life like?
College of the Holy Cross beyond the classroom
Residential life, campus traditions and community engagement make both The Hill and Worcester part of the broader undergraduate experience.
A defining academic feature
The Montserrat first-year program links seminar learning with residence and co-curricular experiences before students move further into their chosen liberal-arts fields.
What shapes an ordinary week
Residential life, campus traditions and community engagement make both The Hill and Worcester part of the broader undergraduate experience.
Where the degree can lead
Fenwick Hall and the surrounding hillside create the campus vista most closely associated with Holy Cross.