University of
Holy Cross
Private College in New Orleans, LA. Six-year graduation rate 49%. Median 10-year earnings $49,316.
Ten years after entry, the median University of Holy Cross student earns $49,316 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. 49% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Debt at graduation runs to a median of $26,995, neither a bargain nor a burden.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
74% of applicants get in, so the odds favor most reasonably prepared students. Only 1,116 students applied, so treat these rates as directional — small pools swing sharply between cycles. Yield is low at 6%, so most admitted students do not end up enrolling.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of Holy Cross →Academics
Completion is middling: 49% finish inside six years. 71% of full-time first-years come back for year two, so about one in three are gone before sophomore year. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. The 7:1 student-faculty ratio is small enough that seminar-sized classes are the norm. As a private nonprofit four-year college, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 417 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,420 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. Net price varies modestly by income — $14,202 at $0–30k against $16,087 at $110k+ — so the average is a fair guide for most families. About 71% get grants averaging $8,922, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. 61% of students borrow federally, so debt is the norm rather than the exception.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 33 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,202 |
| $30–48k | $15,215 |
| $48–75k | $15,314 |
| $75–110k | $19,073 |
| $110k+ | $16,087 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 255 of these 417 students, totalling $1,900,498 — an average of $7,453 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Orleans Parish) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)