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College of the Holy Cross

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Private, not-for-profit, 4-year or above

School Size & Setting

Medium | Urban

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

9:1

Religious affliation

Roman Catholic

General Information

Address

College of the Holy Cross

One College Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 1610

See on Map
Phone

(508) 793-2011

Website
www.holycross.edu/

Mission Statement

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?

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Mission Statement

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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?

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$58,360

Out of state

$58,360
Graduate

In state

No information

Out of state

No information

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
72%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 16.0% $7,757
State/local grants 8.0% $3,498
Institutional grants 59.0% $37,282
Loans 45.0% $5,896

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

$16,620 per year

Books & Supplies

$1,000 per year

Personal Expenses

$900 per year

Pay For College with ROTC

Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is a college scholarship program that prepares students to become military officers

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Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Psychology, General
  • Economics, General
  • Political Science and Government, General
  • History, General
  • English Language and Literature, General
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Biochemistry
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the chemistry of living systems, their fundamental chemical substances and reactions, and their chemical pathways and information transfer systems, with particular reference to carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Includes instruction in bio-organic chemistry, protein chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, bioseparations, regulatory biochemistry, enzymology, hormonal chemistry, calorimetry, and research methods and equipment operation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Neuroscience
      • A program that focuses on the interdisciplinary scientific study of the molecular, structural, physiologic, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of the brain and nervous system. Includes instruction in molecular and cellular neuroscience, brain science, anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, molecular and biochemical bases of information processing, behavioral neuroscience, biology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and applications to the clinical sciences and biomedical engineering. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Accounting
      • A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Secondary Education and Teaching
      • A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the secondary grades, which may include grades seven through twelve, depending on the school system or state regulations. May include preparation to teach a comprehensive curriculum or specific subject matter. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Creative Writing
      • A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Rhetoric and Composition
      • A program that focuses on the humanistic and scientific study of rhetoric, composition, literacy, and language/linguistic theories and their practical and pedagogical applications. Includes instruction in historical and contemporary rhetoric/composition theories; composition and criticism of written, visual, and mixed-media texts; analysis of literacy practices in cultural and cross-cultural contexts; and writing program administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Comparative Literature
      • A program that focuses on two or more literary traditions in the original languages or in translation. Includes instruction in comparative linguistics; applicable foreign languages; English/French language and literature; literary criticism; and applications to genre, period, national, and textual studies as well as literary forms such as poetry, prose, and drama. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chinese Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Russian Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • French Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in philology; Metropolitan French; Canadian French; African and Caribbean Creoles; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Spanish Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Statistics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the relationships between groups of measurements, and similarities and differences, using probability theory and techniques derived from it. Includes instruction in the principles in probability theory, binomial distribution, regression analysis, standard deviation, stochastic processes, Monte Carlo method, Bayesian statistics, non-parametric statistics, sampling theory, and statistical techniques. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
    • Medieval and Renaissance Studies
      • A program that focuses on the study of the Medieval and/or Renaissance periods in European and circum-Mediterranean history from the perspective of various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including history and archeology, as well as studies of period art and music. See other colleges that offer this major
    • International/Globalization Studies
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Religion/Religious Studies
      • A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Catholic Studies
      • A program that focuses on Catholic thought, culture, and how Catholic tradition informs theology, culture, institutions, and identity. Includes instruction in Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Catholic bioethics, Catholic social thought, church history, Latin, philosophy, and theology. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS
    • Health Policy Analysis
      • A program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues related to domestic and international health and health care systems. Includes instruction in contemporary health issues and policies, politics and economics of health care delivery, epidemiology, public health, comparative and global health, medical law and ethics, statistical methods, and applications to specific public policy topics. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Visual and Performing Arts, General
      • A general, undifferentiated program that focuses on the visual and performing arts and that may prepare individuals in any of the visual artistic media or performing disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
      • A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/media arts, as well as the basic principles of filmmaking and film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
      • A program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. Includes instruction in the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Technology
      • A program that focuses on the creative aspects of the blending of music and technology; and that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the composition, recording, synthesis, and performance of music; audio-visual production; scoring for film and multimedia; and software and multimedia development. Includes instruction in music theory, music history, composition, acoustics, recording technology, computer composition, electronic music synthesis, technology-based performance, 3D sound and spatial audio, and music business and law. See other colleges that offer this major
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Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
36.36%
  • Apply 7,036
  • Accepted 2,558
  • Attend 903

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$60
Graduate
No information

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required

  • High school GPA

    Not applicable

  • Recommendation letter

    Required

  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable

  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required

  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Not applicable

  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average Test Scores

SAT Math
620-710
ACT Composite
28-32
SAT Reading
640-720
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Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
55%
Male Students
45%
Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian70.81%
  2. Hispanic/Latino11.71%
  3. Two Or More Ethnicities6.59%
  4. Asian3.89%
  5. Black3.86%
  6. Not Specified3.08%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.03%
  8. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.03%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

3,323

Undergraduate students

3,323

Full Time Students
100%
Part Time Students
0%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
  • Football
  • Lacrosse
  • Rowing
  • Baseball
Female sports:
  • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
  • Rowing
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and Diving (combined)
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
    • Football
    • Lacrosse
    • Rowing
    • Baseball
    • Ice Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Golf

    • Female

    • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
    • Rowing
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    • Field Hockey
    • Ice Hockey
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Golf
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
No Information for this section

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.