St. Mary's vs. Cooper Union

Comparable Facts

Compare St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is larger than Cooper Union based on total student enrollment (1,630 students vs. 933 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• St. Mary's College of Maryland is located in St. Mary's City, MD (Distant Rural setting); The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: St. Mary's College of Maryland 10:1; The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art 8:1.

St. Mary's vs. Cooper Union Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Cooper Union? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St. Mary's College of Maryland than Cooper Union ($21,071 vs. $26,283).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St. Mary's College of Maryland are 15.8% lower than at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ($16,079 vs. $19,090).
• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is 206.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than St. Mary's (about $31,522 more per year; $46,820.00 vs. $15,298.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 49.2% higher at Cooper Union than at St. Mary's College of Maryland (about $15,446 more per year; $46,820.00 vs. $31,374.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art than at St. Mary's College of Maryland (100% vs. 98%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art students is 240% larger than aid received by St. Mary's College of Maryland students ($38,755 vs. $11,398).

St. Mary's vs. Cooper Union Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's or Cooper Union? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Cooper Union and St. Mary's.

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1400) is 160 points higher than at St. Mary's (1240).
• Incoming Cooper Union students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (31 vs. 28 at St. Mary's).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 1143/1340; The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art 1295/1501.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 26/31; The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art 28/34.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's - Test optional; Cooper Union - Test optional.
• Typical fall application deadline: St. Mary's Jan 15, 2027; Cooper Union Jan 8, 2027.
• Accepted freshman Cooper Union students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at St. Mary's (3.45).
• St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (68.6%) than Cooper Union (20.7%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.3% at St. Mary's vs. 52.4% at Cooper Union.

St. Mary's vs. Cooper Union Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for St. Mary's and Cooper Union? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• St. Mary's College of Maryland's six-year graduation rate (79%) is higher than The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's (76%).
• Graduates from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art earn a median of about $12,500 more per year than St. Mary's graduates about ten years after starting college ($64,000 vs. $51,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art graduates have a $3,708 lower median loan debt than St. Mary's graduates ($16,662 vs. $20,370).
• Among borrowers, Cooper Union graduates have an estimated $38 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than St. Mary's graduates ($172 vs. $210).
• More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cooper Union students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 75%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.