Whittier College vs. St. Mary's College

Should I go to Whittier College or Saint Mary's College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Whittier College or St. Mary's 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

La Verne University of Redlands Azusa Pacific University Purdue Chapman Xavier UCLA Cal State Fullerton University of Dayton Cal State Long Beach UCSB Oxy
Whittier College vs. Saint Mary's College comparison
Whittier College Saint Mary's College College 3 College 4
Whittier College Saint Mary's College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Whittier College St. Mary's College
Location Whittier, CA Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,192 1,519
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #273 #162
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website whittier.edu saintmarys.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Whittier College St. Mary's College
Tuition (In State) $48,924 $48,880
Tuition (Out of State) $48,924 $48,880
Room & Board $15,623 $13,580
Avg Net Price $28,368 $27,960
Avg Grant Aid $34,623 $36,112
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Whittier College St. Mary's College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,014 2,260
Admitted 2,274 1,896
Acceptance Rate 75.4% 83.9%
Enrolled % 10.9% 20.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.83
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 26/32
SAT Range 1140/1340 1100/1328
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

Whittier College St. Mary's College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

Whittier College St. Mary's College
Graduation Rate 55% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,400 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $263 $279

Diversity

Whittier College St. Mary's College
% Men 44% 1%
% Women 56% 99%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 31% 78%
% Black 5% 2%
% Hispanic 44% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Whittier College St. Mary's College
% In-State 64% 35%
% Out-of-State 27% 64%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Mary's College is larger than than Whittier College based on total student enrollment (1,519 students vs. 1,192 students)

Whittier College vs. St. Mary's College Cost Comparison

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

  • Whittier College is 0.1% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's College for in-state tuition ($48,924.00 vs. $48,880.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Whittier College than Saint Mary's College ($48,924.00 vs. $48,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Mary's College than Whittier College ($27,960 vs. $28,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Mary's College are 15% lower than costs at Whittier College ($13,580 vs. $15,623)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Whittier College as Saint Mary's College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 4.3% larger than aid received Whittier College ($36,112 vs. $34,623)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at Saint Mary's College (1125) is 68 points higher than at Whittier College (1057)
  • Incoming St. Mary's College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Whittier College (23)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Whittier College (3.61)
  • St. Mary's College has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Whittier College (75.4%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Whittier College (79% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Saint Mary's College earn on average $3,700 more per year than Whittier College graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $47,400)
  • Whittier College students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($25,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Whittier College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($263 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Whittier College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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