We are proud to be recognized by publications and organizations that cover higher education for our exceptional academic programs, top professors, and great campus experiences. Here are a few of the factors that set Holy Cross apart.
College Excellence
- A on Niche's list of 2020 Best Colleges in America
- A+ on Forbes's list of College Financial Grades, 2021
- Among the 50 most beautiful college campuses in America, according to Architectural Digest
- Most beautiful college in Massachusetts, according to Travel + Leisure
- No. 2 on the Institute for International Education's list of long-term study abroad programs
- No. 3 on Money Magazine's list of "10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Your Money"
- No. 4 on Wall Street Journal's list of best Catholic colleges in America
- No. 6 on Niche.com's list of best Catholic colleges in America
- No. 11 on Washington Monthly's list of "Best Bang for the Buck - Northeast" colleges
- No. 15 on Kiplinger's list of best value liberal arts colleges "where you can get a quality education at an affordable price"
- No. 18 on Washington Monthly's list of top liberal arts colleges
- No. 20 on Business Insider's list of best liberal arts colleges
- No. 22 on Kiplinger's list of best value colleges (among private universities, private liberal arts colleges and public universities) "where you can get a quality education at an affordable price"
- No. 33 on Niche.com's list of best small colleges in America
- No. 33 on Niche.com's list of best liberal arts colleges in America
- No. 36 on U.S. News & World Report's list of best liberal arts colleges
- No. 36 on The Economist's list of best colleges in America based on value
- One of "27 great schools that don't require SAT or ACT scores," according to Insider.com
- Included on the Princeton Review's list of "Best 386 Colleges" and "Colleges That Pay You Back"
- Among the "best and most interesting colleges" in the Fiske Guide to Colleges
- Among both "The 100 smartest private colleges in America" and "The 101 smartest liberal arts colleges in America," according to Business Insider
- No. 2 on OnStage Blog's list of "Top Ten Most Underrated College Theatre Programs for 2017 - North East Region"
- No. 3 on Accounting Degree Review's list of "Top 10 Undergraduate Accounting Programs in Massachusetts"
- One of a select group of colleges that meet 100% of a student's demonstrated need
- Average class size: 19 students (2019-2020 academic year)
- Among Bon Appétit's "7 Healthiest College Dining Halls in the Country"
- An Edmit "hidden gem" college based on affordability, quality of degree programs, and student outcomes
- Holy Cross has been part of either the answer or question on "Jeopardy!" 12 times
Student Achievement
- 89% first-year retention rate
- 93% six-year graduation rate
- Tied for No. 1 in the nation for highest graduation rates (99%) for student-athletes, among NCAA Division I schools
- Among colleges with the highest four-year graduation rates, according to U.S. News & World Report
Success After Graduation
- Despite graduating during a pandemic, 94% of respondents to our survey of the class of 2020 report being employed in a job or internship, in graduate school, engaged in service work, or on a fellowship seven months after graduation
- Average starting salary for 2020 graduates: $56,633
- 76% medical school acceptance rate
- 91% law school acceptance rate
- No. 7 on PayScale's list of best religious schools by salary potential
- No. 10 on PayScale's list of best colleges in Massachusetts by salary potential
- No. 16 on PayScale's list of best schools for humanities majors by salary potential
- No. 18 on PayScale's list of best liberal arts colleges by salary potential
- No. 18 on the list of best value liberal arts colleges in the country, according to PayScale’s 2018 College Return on Investment Report
- No. 31 on PayScale's list of best schools for business majors by salary potential
- Among colleges with the best return on investment, according to U.S. News & World Report
- Six young alumni awarded Fulbright grants to teach and conduct research around the world during the 2020-21 academic year
- A top producer of Fulbright students during the 2019-2020 academic year, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education
- Over the last five years, 38 Holy Cross graduates have been awarded Fulbright grants to work and teach abroad
- Clarence Thomas '71 is associate justice of the Supreme Court
- Joseph E. Murray '40 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 for performing the first successful kidney transplant
- Three Holy Cross alumni are recipients of a Pulitzer Prize: Dave Anderson '51 (1991), Jack Higgins '76 (1989), and Edward P. Jones '72 (2004)
- Three alumni are members of Congress: Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. '82 (D-Pa.) and Reps. Mark DeSaulnier '74 (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch '69 (D-Vt.)
Alumni Engagement
- No. 8 on U.S. News & World Report's list of colleges and universities where the most alumni donate
- 6,342 donors took part in a fundraising challenge for Holy Cross over 1.75 days on Jan. 25-26, 2019, breaking the College's own record for a challenge lasting two days (42 hours)
Faculty
- All courses are taught by faculty members; none by teaching assistants
- 97% hold terminal degrees
- 10:1 student to faculty ratio
- Four faculty members have won Guggenheim fellowships: Todd Lewis, professor of religious studies (2011); Sarah Stanbury, professor of English (2010); Leila Phillip, associate professor of English (2007); and Osvaldo Golijov, Loyola Professor of Music (1995)
Service and Social Justice
- A top “Schools for Service” in the United States, as identified by the Catholic Volunteer Network
- 1 in 12 students (or 250) devotes their spring break to immersion and service projects
- SPUD (Student Programs for Urban Development) is the largest student organization at Holy Cross with more than 700 participants, and is connected to more than 46 schools and community organizations
Sustainability and Stewardship
- Holy Cross is a registered arboretum, a collection of maintained specimen trees
- Charter signatory of Second Nature's Climate Leadership Commitment (previously the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment)
- As part of the commitment, aim to be carbon neutral by 2040
- Surpassed our initial campus carbon emissions reduction goal years ahead of schedule
- Among the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the Princeton Review