Holy Cross College
Notre Dame, Indiana · Private Nonprofit · 75.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Holy Cross College posts an overall ROI score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier despite a strong completion rate. Median debt of $24,000 produces a 0.725 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 16-year payback period. Net price is $26,728 against sticker tuition of $36,600, so institutional aid discounts roughly $10,000 per year for the average student. Holy Cross is a small Catholic liberal arts college on the Notre Dame campus.
How Holy Cross College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Holy Cross College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,600/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,600/yr |
| Average net price | $26,728/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,912 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,416 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $254 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 72.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 639 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $36,600/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,728/year, or roughly $106,912 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,377/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $35,603/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,000, which works out to about $254 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,100) and comes to 0.72, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $15,377 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,673 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,036 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,701 |
| $110,001+ | $35,603 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,377 - about $11,000 below the listed average net price. Pell grants, federal loans, and meaningful institutional need-based aid combine to make Holy Cross feasible for low-income students. Over four years that is roughly $62,000 against average graduate earnings of $33,100. The math is tight but defensible given the strong 72.9% completion rate.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays just $13,673 - the lowest published rate, an unusually deep discount. The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $17,036. The Notre Dame proximity adds real intangible value.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $22,701 and the $110,001-plus bracket pays $35,603 - close to full sticker. The honest answer for most: yes, only if the student is targeting the ND transfer program.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Holy Cross College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $52,927 | D |
| Psychology | $51,745 | - |
| Communication and Media Studies | $52,231 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration is the only graded program with 24 graduates per year. First-year earnings of $33,043 climb to $52,927 by year four, with median debt of $23,586 producing a 0.714 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 66.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 70.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Holy Cross College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.2% |
| Enrollment | 639 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,176 |
Holy Cross admits 75.2% of applicants. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported in current Scorecard data. The combination of broadly accessible admissions and a 72.9% completion rate is notable - the school admits a wide range of students.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Cross College (this school) | 38 | $26,728 | $50,416 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Malone University | 37 | $20,948 | $48,909 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of just 639 with a 29.8% Pell rate signals a small, primarily middle-and-upper-middle-class Catholic student body. The defining feature is the Notre Dame partnership: Holy Cross students take classes at Notre Dame, use Notre Dame facilities, and many transfer to Notre Dame after sophomore year (the so-called Gateway program).
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Holy Cross College scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,728 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,416 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: its 72.9% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Holy Cross College: Common Questions
Is Holy Cross College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Holy Cross College scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,728 a year after aid against $50,416 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Holy Cross College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $26,728 a year, or roughly $106,912 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Holy Cross College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,416 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,616 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Holy Cross College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 16 years for Holy Cross College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Holy Cross College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,000, against average earnings of $33,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Holy Cross College?
The six-year graduation rate is 72.9%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.