Faculty closeness
moderateSmall classes support direct faculty engagement.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
College of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross is a small Jesuit liberal-arts college centered on close teaching, reflection, and service. Its Worcester setting provides urban access while the hillside residential campus maintains a cohesive undergraduate community.
- Jesuit liberal arts and reflection
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Worcester, Massachusetts · Urban setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,106
- Aggregate admission rate
- 17.6%
- Average net price
- $38,782
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Community closeness
moderateResidential scale and shared mission support cohesion.
Learning by doing
highCommunity-based courses connect study with practice.
Intellectual culture
highJesuit reflection connects academic and ethical questions.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider College of the Holy Cross if…
- You want a Jesuit liberal-arts college.
- You value close faculty relationships.
- You want service integrated with learning.
- You prefer a small residential community.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You want a secular institution.
- You prefer an open curriculum.
- You want a large university.
- You dislike a hilly campus.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Jesuit liberal arts and reflection
Students build broad liberal-arts programs through common requirements, a major, and sustained faculty advising.
Source: Academics
Academic choices and structure
Community-based learning and service connect coursework with Worcester organizations.
Source: Community-Based Learning
A setting that shapes the experience
Worcester, Massachusetts gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Academics
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
Holy Cross documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Academics
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 3,106 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 17.6%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $38,782. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:7
Per 1,000 enrolled:2.2
Reporting campuses:1
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating Holy Cross across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Holy Cross across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Holy Cross across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Academics - College of the Holy Cross (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Community-Based Learning - College of the Holy Cross (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- College of the Holy Cross institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets Holy Cross’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION