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 Health Grades, 2019
- Among the 50 most beautiful college campuses in America, according to Architectural Digest
- Most beautiful college in Massachusetts, according to Travel + Leisure
- No. 1 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
- Among "20 Top Colleges That Are Flexible With Test Scores," according to U.S. News & World Report
- 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
- No. 12 for four-year graduation rates among all colleges and universities in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report
Success After Graduation
- 93% of respondents to our survey of the class of 2019 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 2019 graduates: $55,401
- 76% medical school acceptance rate
- 91% law school acceptance rate
- No. 11 on PayScale's list of best religious schools by salary potential
- No. 12 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. 17 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. 20 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. 4 on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of colleges based on alumni participation in giving
- No. 9 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
- Named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for strong institutional commitment to service and partnerships that produce measurable results for the community
- No. 2 among small colleges for the number of alumni (12) joining Teach for America in 2018
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