College of The Holy Cross - Admissions

Admissions

Holy Cross has traditionally drawn many of its students from a pool of historical Catholic high schools and private boarding schools, though a slight majority of current undergraduates come from public schools. Holy Cross received 6,700 applications for admission to the Class of 2010 — a 41 percent increase from the previous year and a school record. One reason for this large increase in applications was a decision by Holy Cross to no longer require applicants to submit any standardized test score. Holy Cross' overall undergraduate acceptance rate for the incoming Class of 2011 was 33 percent, with a 31 percent yield. The middle 50% SAT score range for those who submitted a score was 1210-1380 out of 1600. Even though Holy Cross did not first admit women students until 1972, its student population is currently majority female, as with most liberal arts institutions, with this majority continuing to grow with the most recent entering classes.

Holy Cross has been consistently ranked by the Barron's Guide to U.S. Colleges and Universities as one of the 50 "most academically demanding colleges across America". The college shares this ranking with all of the Ivy League universities, Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and others. In its 2009 edition of The Best 361 Colleges, the Princeton Review awarded Holy Cross a 98/99 academic rating. Only 5 colleges or universities were awarded a higher academic rating. According to The Alumni Factor, Holy Cross is ranked 5th in the nation based on how well it develops and shapes its students, and what becomes of them after they graduate.