Points of Pride | College of the Holy Cross

College Excellence

Holy Cross is one of a select group of colleges (less than 100) that meets 100% of each student's demonstrated financial need
Students whose families have a total income of $75,000 or less and reasonable assets will receive a full tuition grant
A+ on Forbes's list of College Financial Grades, 2021
A+ on Niche's list of 2021 Best Colleges in America
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. 5 on Niche.com's list of best Catholic colleges in America
No. 12 on WalletHub's list of 2022’s best colleges in the U.S.
No. 15 on Kiplinger's list of best value liberal arts colleges "where you can get a quality education at an affordable price"
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. 28 on Niche.com's list of best liberal arts colleges in America
No. 29 on Niche.com's list of best small colleges in America
No. 33 on Newsweek's list of best liberal arts colleges in America
No. 35 on U.S. News & World Report's list of best liberal arts colleges
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
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"
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

96% 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
72% medical school acceptance rate
92% law school acceptance rate
No. 10 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. 18 on the PayScale's list of best value liberal arts colleges in the country
No. 24 on PayScale's list of best liberal arts colleges by salary potential
Among colleges with the best return on investment, according to U.S. News & World Report
In 2021, three members of the Class of 2021 and one member of the Class of 2014 earned coveted fellowships
A top producer of Fulbright students during the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education
Over the last five years, 28 Holy Cross graduates have been awarded Fulbright grants to work and teach abroad
Anthony Fauci '62 is the nation's top infectious disease expert
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
Alumni and other members of the Holy Cross community gifted a record $65.9 million to the College during the 2020-21 fiscal year
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
95% 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) devote 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 500 participants and is connected to more than 40 schools and community organizations

Sustainability and Stewardship

Among the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the Princeton Review
Charter signatory of Second Nature's Climate Leadership Commitment
As part of the commitment, Holy Cross aims to be carbon neutral by 2040
Surpassed our initial campus carbon emissions reduction goal years ahead of schedule
Holy Cross is a registered arboretum, a collection of maintained specimen trees
Recognized as a 2020 Tree Campus Higher Education institution for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals