Fairfield University
Fairfield University 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
Fairfield University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Christian Colleges in Connecticut 2026
- #3 Connecticut's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Connecticut
- #6 Best Private Colleges in Connecticut 2026
- #6 The Most Affordable Online Clinical Nutrition Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #7 Best Colleges in Connecticut 2026
- #8 Best Online MBAs Connecticut
- #9 Nursing Liberal Arts Colleges
- #13 Most Influential Colleges in Lacrosse Today
- #16 The Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
- #16 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #17 Online Master’s in Marketing/Advertising
- #45 Best Christian Colleges 2026
About Fairfield University
According to Wikipedia, Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time and part-time students. It offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees through its five schools and colleges.
Fairfield University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Marketing Analytics
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
MSBA in Business Analytics
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MSMAS in Marketing Analytics And Strategy
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
MSCYB in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Classroom Technology Integration
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Leadership In Educational Technology
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Learning Design And Technology
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
MA in Educational Technology
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MFA in Creative Writing
Degree Concentrations
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Creative Nonfiction
- Screenwriting
Graduate Certificate in Sexual And Gender Minority Health
- Required Credits: 9
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Fairfield University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,463 | 33% | 91% | 85% | 1325 | 30 |
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 Fairfield University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $60,810 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $30,752 |
| 30K - 48K | $35,919 |
| 48K - 75K | $37,768 |
| 75K - 110K | $42,341 |
| 110K+ | $53,583 |
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 Fairfield University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Fairfield University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $101,587 a year, and 97% 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.
Fairfield University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 6,991 | 5,286 | 1,705 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Fairfield University?
Fairfield University is located at 1073 N Benson Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824-5195.
How Safe is Fairfield University?
Relative to its enrollment, Fairfield University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.01%. Fairfield has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of 1.42%. 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 Fairfield University Known For?
Fairfield University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Biology
- Business
- Political Science
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- History
- Communications
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Medical
- Economics
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Education
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Physics
Fairfield University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Fairfield University'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
Fairfield University ranks #270 in the U.S. and #1054 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesFairfield University ranks #302 in the U.S. and #1041 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesFairfield University ranks #321 in the U.S. and #1263 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesFairfield University ranks #322 in the U.S. and #1389 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesFairfield University ranks #358 in the U.S. and #961 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesFairfield University ranks #368 in the U.S. and #1668 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesFairfield University ranks #372 in the U.S. and #1323 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesFairfield University ranks #374 in the U.S. and #1048 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesFairfield University ranks #391 in the U.S. and #1465 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesFairfield University ranks #393 in the U.S. and #984 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesFairfield University ranks #398 in the U.S. and #1322 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesFairfield University ranks #458 in the U.S. and #1693 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesFairfield University ranks #470 in the U.S. and #2804 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesFairfield University ranks #474 in the U.S. and #1444 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesFairfield University ranks #483 in the U.S. and #1984 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesFairfield University ranks #489 in the U.S. and #2171 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesFairfield University ranks #502 in the U.S. and #1222 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesFairfield University ranks #508 in the U.S. and #2445 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesFairfield University ranks #517 in the U.S. and #1587 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesFairfield University ranks #529 in the U.S. and #3143 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesFairfield University ranks #780 in the U.S. and #3302 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWho Are Fairfield University's Most Influential Alumni?
Fairfield University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Psychology. Here are some of Fairfield University's most famous alumni:
- Peter Pronovost
- An American physician.
- Brian P. Monahan
- An American physician.
- Kevin Nealon
- An American comedian.
- Robert J. Wicks
- An American writer .
- John T. Lis
- An American geneticist.
- Charles E. Schaefer
- An American psychologist .
- Ronald A. Bosco
- An American academic.
- Donald Preziosi
- An American art historian.
- Kevin Kiernan
- An American linguist.
- Tatiana Foroud
- A Professor of medical & molecular genetics.
- James Lewis Abbruzzese
- A Gastrointestinal oncologist.
- Robert J. McMahon
- An American historian.
