College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
College of the Holy Cross Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #2 Christian Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #7 Small Colleges in Massachusetts
- #10 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #15 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #17 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #23 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #25 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
About College of the Holy Cross
According to Wikipedia, The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. Holy Cross was the first Catholic college in New England and is among the oldest Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.
College of the Holy Cross Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,670 | 18% | 95% | 86% | 1325 | 29 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does College of the Holy Cross Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $68,090 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,931 |
| 30K - 48K | $5,164 |
| 48K - 75K | $18,565 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,516 |
| 110K+ | $58,649 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do College of the Holy Cross Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former College of the Holy Cross students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $100,485 a year, and 96% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
College of the Holy Cross's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 3,310 | 3,310 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is College of the Holy Cross?
College of the Holy Cross is located at One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610-2395.
How Safe is College of the Holy Cross?
College of the Holy Cross reported 1.3 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, College of the Holy Cross has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Worcester has a violent crime rate of 0.64% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.58%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is College of the Holy Cross Known For?
College of the Holy Cross is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Literature
- History
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Biology
- Anthropology
- Physics
- Computer Science
College of the Holy Cross's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much College of the Holy Cross's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
College of the Holy Cross ranks #130 in the U.S. and #568 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #185 in the U.S. and #691 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #186 in the U.S. and #530 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #186 in the U.S. and #542 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #189 in the U.S. and #452 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #221 in the U.S. and #875 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #233 in the U.S. and #767 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #250 in the U.S. and #1006 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #279 in the U.S. and #1403 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #280 in the U.S. and #1484 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #284 in the U.S. and #1113 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #290 in the U.S. and #909 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #332 in the U.S. and #1481 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCollege of the Holy Cross ranks #459 in the U.S. and #2153 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are College of the Holy Cross's Most Influential Alumni?
College of the Holy Cross's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Law, Psychology, and History. Here are some of College of the Holy Cross's most famous alumni:
- Timothy Leary
- An American psychologist .
- Clarence Thomas
- A US Supreme Court justice since 1991 .
- Anthony Fauci
- An American immunologist and head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
- Joseph Murray
- A US surgeon .
- Bill Simmons
- An American sports columnist, author, and podcaster.
- Vito Acconci
- An American designer, landscape architect, performance and installation artist .
- Michael Harrington
- An American political writer .
- Richard J. Leon
- An American judge.
- Chris Matthews
- An American political commentator, former talk show host, and author.
- James Collins
- An American professor of biomedical engineering.
- Billy Collins
- An American poet.
- Edward P. Jones
- A Novelist, short story writer.
