Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT · NortheastQuad's selectivitySelective

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

7 in 10 applicants admitted

Sacred Heart admits about 7 in 10 applicants (65%). That puts it in the "Selective" tier, more selective than 70% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

65%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivitySelective

Applied

16,495

Admitted

10,781

Yield

17%

of admits enroll

Applications +81% since fall 2014 · admit rate 57% → 65%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A medium campus of 7,087 undergrads, where 16% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

7.1K

undergrads · larger than 84% of colleges

Diversity index

0.42

Pell Grant

16%

below the median

First generation

23%

below the median

Large suburbNCAA D-I FCS · Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceStudy abroadUndergrad research

Undergrads +45% since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (17% of graduates). 15 students for every faculty member, more than at 66% of colleges. 33% of faculty are full-time. Spends $9,979 a year on instruction per student.

15 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 66% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $49,339 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $25.1K more than the national median. The 99% who received grants paid $47,848 on average; the other 1% paid the full sticker price of $70,760.

30%

$49.3K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $25.1K above the national median

Full price: $70,760 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 31% · avg $18K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 30% of full price

Federal loans

57%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost steady · −2% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $75,059 ten years after enrolling, more than at 88% of colleges; 71% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.6 years of that salary.

71%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$75.1K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$25K

≈ $265/month for 10 years

Retention

83%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 67% → 73% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price held about steady after inflation, and what the average first-year paid moved with it. Applications rose 81% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 57% to 65%.

Cost
Steady
−2% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+81%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 57% → 65%
Diversity
Reported

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

University of Dayton

65% admit · SAT 1290 · 7.7K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso private

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Elon University

63% admit · SAT 1260 · 6.2K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso private

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Quinnipiac University

72% admit · SAT 1235 · 6.5K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso NortheastAlso private

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Merrimack College

70% admit · 3.9K undergrads

Similar selectivityAlso NortheastAlso private

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Sacred Heart University (2026)
Sacred Heart University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 130253 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything