SHU vs. Sterling College

Should I go to Sacred Heart University or Sterling College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHU or Sterling College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Sacred Heart University vs. Sterling College comparison
Sacred Heart University Sterling College College 3 College 4
Sacred Heart University Sterling College
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Overview

SHU Sterling College
Location Fairfield, CT Craftsbury Common, VT
Setting Large Suburban Remote Rural
Enrollment 10,721 101
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu sterlingcollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Sterling College
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $39,000
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $39,000
Room & Board $17,520 $10,400
Avg Net Price $45,280 $21,222
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $31,078
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

SHU Sterling College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 28
Admitted 8,750 26
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 92.9%
Enrolled % 20.3% 38.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

SHU Sterling College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (48%)
  • Biology (33%)
  • Agriculture (14%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)

Outcomes

SHU Sterling College
Graduation Rate 68% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $17,035
Median Loan Payment $258 $176

Diversity

SHU Sterling College
% Men 35% 41%
% Women 65% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 83%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 3%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 12% 6%

Students

SHU Sterling College
% In-State 23% 22%
% Out-of-State 75% 78%

Campus

SHU Sterling College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Sterling College based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 101 students)

SHU vs. Sterling College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Sterling College?

  • Sacred Heart University is 18.7% more expensive to attend than Sterling College for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $39,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.7% higher at SHU than Sterling College ($46,310.00 vs. $39,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sterling College than SHU ($21,222 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sterling College are 68.5% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($10,400 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sterling College than Sacred Heart University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sterling College students is 59.5% larger than aid received Sacred Heart University ($31,078 vs. $19,484)

SHU vs. Sterling College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU or Sterling College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Sterling College or SHU .

  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.45 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Sterling College (3.1)
  • Sterling College has a higher acceptance rate (92.9%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Sterling College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU or Sterling College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Sterling College and SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Sterling College (68% vs. 50%)
  • Sterling College students graduate with a $7,965 lower median federal student loan debt than SHU graduates. ($17,035 vs. $25,000)
  • Sterling College graduates are paying $82 less per month on federal student loans than SHU graduates. ($176 vs. $258)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sterling College students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 74%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/