St. Mary's College vs. Valpo

Should I go to Saint Mary's College or Valparaiso University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's College or Valpo 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. Valparaiso University comparison
Saint Mary's College Valparaiso University College 3 College 4
Saint Mary's College Valparaiso University
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Overview

St. Mary's College Valpo
Location Notre Dame, IN Valparaiso, IN
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,519 2,958
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #162 #313
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Lutheran Church in America - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu valpo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's College Valpo
Tuition (In State) $48,880 $43,400
Tuition (Out of State) $48,880 $43,400
Room & Board $13,580 $13,180
Avg Net Price $27,960 $22,755
Avg Grant Aid $36,112 $34,706
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

St. Mary's College Valpo
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,260 6,842
Admitted 1,896 6,442
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 94.2%
Enrolled % 20.9% 9.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.76
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/32 27/30
SAT Range 1100/1328 1140/1360
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 Valpo
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%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's College Valpo
Graduation Rate 79% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $54,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

St. Mary's College Valpo
% Men 1% 45%
% Women 99% 55%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 72%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

St. Mary's College Valpo
% In-State 35% 48%
% Out-of-State 64% 49%

Campus

St. Mary's College Valpo
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

  • Valparaiso University is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (2,958 students vs. 1,519 students)

St. Mary's College vs. Valpo Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's College or Valpo?

  • Saint Mary's College is 12.6% more expensive to attend than Valpo for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $43,400.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.6% higher at St. Mary's College than Valparaiso University ($48,880.00 vs. $43,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Valparaiso University than St. Mary's College ($22,755 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Valparaiso University are 3% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($13,180 vs. $13,580)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College as Valparaiso University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 4.1% larger than aid received Valparaiso University ($36,112 vs. $34,706)

St. Mary's College vs. Valpo Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Valparaiso University (1159) is 34 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Valpo 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 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Valpo (3.76)
  • Valpo has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than St. Mary's College (83.9%)

St. Mary's College vs. Valpo Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's College or Valpo? 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 Valpo and St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Valparaiso University (79% vs. 71%)
  • Graduates from Valparaiso University earn on average $2,900 more per year than St. Mary's College graduates after ten years. ($54,000 vs. $51,100)
  • Valparaiso University and St. Mary's College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Valparaiso University 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 Valpo students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 77%)

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