Home Colleges Connecticut Sacred Heart University
Private 4-Year Moderately Selective Fairfield, CT NCAA Division I-FCS

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT

65.4%
Acceptance Rate
$73,394/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$46,174/yr
Avg Price After Aid
74%
6-yr Grad Rate
7,087
Undergrads

About Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University is a private nonprofit institution located in Fairfield, Connecticut, a large suburb. The university serves approximately 7,087 undergraduate students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1.

Type
Private 4-Year
Undergrads
7,087
Avg Faculty Salary
$99,855
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Endowment
$316M
Pell Students
15.8%
First-Gen
22.9%
What Sacred Heart University Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention,... 86 graduates · 5.9% of degrees here vs 0.04% nationally 159×
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 55 graduates · 3.8% of degrees here vs 0.07% nationally 52×
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology 105 graduates · 7.2% of degrees here vs 0.29% nationally 25×
Research and Experimental Psychology 129 graduates · 8.8% of degrees here vs 0.6% nationally 15×
Marketing/Marketing Management 103 graduates · 7% of degrees here vs 2.06% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
65.4%
Acceptance rate · Moderately Selective
14,284
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$46,174 avg net
Average net price after aid
$38,691
Under $30K income
$316M
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$63,925 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
74%
6-yr Grad Rate
$25,000
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

Sacred Heart University Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
65.4%
14,284 applicants
Student:Faculty Ratio
15:1
Undergrad instruction

Sacred Heart University has an acceptance rate of 65.4%, indicating a moderately selective admissions process where applicants have a reasonable likelihood of admission. The relatively high acceptance rate suggests the institution considers a broad range of candidates.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 2 applicants is admitted · 14,284 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 5,044 3,207 63.6% 731
Women 9,240 6,460 69.9% 1,174
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Sacred Heart University admits 65.4% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.

Acceptance rate
This school
65.4%
Similar colleges (1,009)
73.8%
CT (24)
72.7%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Sacred Heart University Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$46,174
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$25,000
Federal Loan Rate
57.2%
Students borrowing federal loans

Sacred Heart University's cost of attendance is $73,394, while the average net price students pay is $46,174, meaning average students pay considerably less than the sticker price.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$73,394
Tuition & Fees
$50,404
69%
Room & Board
$19,140
26%
Books & Supplies
$1,200
2%
Other Expenses
$2,650
4%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$38,691
$30,001 – $48,000
$40,517
$48,001 – $75,000
$41,647
$75,001 – $110,000
$46,348
Over $110,000
$48,217
Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
96%
Federal loans
57%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $265.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, Sacred Heart University costs $46,174 a year — about 104% more than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$69,289
Similar colleges (1,094)
$49,718
CT (29)
$39,426
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
96.5%
Similar colleges (998)
91.8%
CT (43)
89.6%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$25,000
Similar colleges (1,032)
$24,977
CT (47)
$17,000
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$46,174
Similar colleges (1,105)
$22,585
CT (49)
$21,634
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Sacred Heart University Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
74%
Median Earnings 6yr
$63,925
6 years after entering

Sacred Heart University has a graduation rate of 74.0%. Graduates earn a median of $63,925 six years after entry and $75,059 ten years after entry.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$60,153
Men
$66,059
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
63.2%
Pell recipients
75.2%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse212
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other129
Business Administration and Management,...127
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology105
Marketing/Marketing Management, General103
Finance, General99
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention,...86
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist55
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies54
Accounting53
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
White
76.3%
Asian
76%
Hispanic
64.3%
Black
46.5%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering Sacred Heart University are $71,006, and 80% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former Sacred Heart University students earn $63,925 — 41% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$75,059
Similar colleges (1,077)
$54,064
CT (37)
$58,562
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$63,925
Similar colleges (1,077)
$45,468
CT (37)
$46,838
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
74%
Similar colleges (1,074)
58.1%
CT (26)
59.5%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
83.9%
Similar colleges (1,117)
76.6%
CT (27)
80.5%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Sacred Heart University Campus, Athletics & Faculty

Sacred Heart University is a private nonprofit institution located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in a large suburb setting. The undergraduate student body of 7,087 includes 63.8% women, 22.9% first-generation students, and 15.8% Pell grant recipients.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
74.8%
Asian
1.7%
Hispanic
14.5%
Black
3.3%
Other Indicators
First-generation
22.9%
Pell grant recipients
15.8%
Women
63.8%
Sacred Heart University Athletics
Total Revenue
$19.9M
Total Expense
$19.9M
Athletes
1,296
640 men · 656 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$87,918
Women's sports
$69,815

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Athletic Aid
Scholarship spending by gender · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's aid
$7,085,076
Women's aid
$7,250,801
Academic Resources
356
Full-time faculty
$99,855
Avg faculty salary
5,156
FT staff
$316M
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$110,271
Women (avg)
$93,790
Overall avg
$99,855
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
7,087
Graduate students
3,818
Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
16.1%

1,052 of 6,530 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
2.5%
Undergrads taking any
47.6%
Grad students fully online
24.2%

172 of 6,960 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 1,020 of 4,219 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

Sacred Heart University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median
Pell grant share
This school
15.8%
Similar colleges (1,171)
32.8%
CT (49)
44%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Research spending per student
This school
$5,511
Similar colleges (1,164)
$6,264
CT (21)
$6,549
National (2,823)
$5,605
Students per faculty member
This school
15:1
Similar colleges (1,191)
12:1
CT (49)
15:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at Sacred Heart University
43 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
1,466 graduates
Business and Marketing 419 grads · 6 majors
Business Administration and Management,... 127
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 103
Finance, General 99
Accounting 53
Fashion Merchandising 29
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management 8
Health Professions 353 grads · 3 majors
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 212
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention,... 86
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 55
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 180 grads · 6 majors
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology 105
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 51
Biochemistry 8
Neuroscience 7
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 5
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 4
Psychology 129 grads · 1 major
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 129
Communication and Journalism 87 grads · 4 majors
Communication, General 32
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 29
Sports Communication 24
Communication, Journalism, and Related... 2
Homeland Security and Protective Services 64 grads · 2 majors
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 54
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism 10
Social Sciences 50 grads · 3 majors
Economics, General 27
Political Science and Government, General 19
Sociology, General 4
Multidisciplinary Studies 47 grads · 2 majors
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 46
International/Globalization Studies 1
Liberal Arts and General Studies 30 grads · 1 major
General Studies 30
Visual and Performing Arts 22 grads · 4 majors
Art/Art Studies, General 8
Game and Interactive Media Design 7
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 6
Music Performance, General 1
Computer and Information Sciences 18 grads · 2 majors
Computer and Information Sciences, General 9
Information Technology 9
Public Administration and Social Services 17 grads · 1 major
Social Work 17
English Language and Literature 15 grads · 1 major
English Language and Literature, General 15
History 12 grads · 1 major
History, General 12
Mathematics and Statistics 12 grads · 1 major
Mathematics, General 12
Engineering 5 grads · 2 majors
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 4
Computer Engineering, General 1
Philosophy and Religious Studies 4 grads · 2 majors
Philosophy 3
Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences 2 grads · 1 major
Chemistry, General 2
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

Sacred Heart University Location & Campus Safety

Sacred Heart University is in Long Hill, CT, in what IPEDS classifies as a large suburb setting. The campus sits about 3.3 miles from the center of Long Hill. There are 11 other colleges within 25 miles, and New Haven, CT is 17.7 miles away.

Sacred Heart University Other colleges within 30 miles
Large suburb
Campus Setting
3.3 mi
To City Center
11
Colleges Within 25 mi
8,597
Long Hill Population
Living in Long Hill
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$2,330
Median Rent / mo
$145,000
Median Household Income
51%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
68.4%
Walk
0.1%
Public transit
0.6%

Undergraduates make up about 3% of Long Hill's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index
Colleges Near Sacred Heart University
Within 30 miles, at least 500 students, by straight-line distance
Fairfield University 5,373 students 4.4 mi
Yale University 6,758 students 17.6 mi
SOURCEIPEDS campus coordinates, Sacred Heart University to each campus

Campus Safety at Sacred Heart University

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures Sacred Heart University reported for 2024.

10
On-Campus Offenses
7
In Residence Halls
0.9
Per 1,000 Students
12
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
14
2023
18
2024
10
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Sexual offenses
8
Burglary
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

Separately, Sacred Heart University reported 629 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Sacred Heart University admissions, costs, and outcomes.