St. Mary's College vs. Luther- Norse

Should I go to Saint Mary's College or Luther College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's College or Luther- Norse 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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Saint Mary's College vs. Luther College comparison
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Overview

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Location Notre Dame, IN Decorah, IA
Setting Rural Fringe Remote Town
Enrollment 1,519 1,610
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #162 #336
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu luther.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Tuition (In State) $48,880 $47,510
Tuition (Out of State) $48,880 $47,510
Room & Board $13,580 $10,670
Avg Net Price $27,960 $25,734
Avg Grant Aid $36,112 $35,441
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,260 2,188
Admitted 1,896 1,648
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 75.3%
Enrolled % 20.9% 24.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.65
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/32 22/29
SAT Range 1100/1328 1075/1330
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Graduation Rate 79% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $50,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
% Men 1% 45%
% Women 99% 55%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 84%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
% In-State 35% 26%
% Out-of-State 64% 60%

Campus

St. Mary's College Luther- Norse
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Luther College is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (1,610 students vs. 1,519 students)

St. Mary's College vs. Luther- Norse Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's College or Luther- Norse?

  • Saint Mary's College is 2.9% more expensive to attend than Luther- Norse for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $47,510.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.9% higher at St. Mary's College than Luther College ($48,880.00 vs. $47,510.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Luther College than St. Mary's College ($25,734 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Luther College are 27.3% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($10,670 vs. $13,580)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College as Luther College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 1.9% larger than aid received Luther College ($36,112 vs. $35,441)

St. Mary's College vs. Luther- Norse Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's College or Luther- Norse? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Luther- Norse or St. Mary's College .

  • The average SAT score at Luther College (1179) is 54 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Luther- Norse students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Luther- Norse (3.65)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Luther- Norse (75.3%)

St. Mary's College vs. Luther- Norse Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's College or Luther- Norse? 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 Luther- Norse and St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Luther College (79% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $1,100 more per year than Luther- Norse graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $50,000)
  • Luther College and St. Mary's College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Luther College and St. Mary's College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Luther- Norse students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 82%)

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