College of Holy Cross: Admissions 2026, Scholarships, Fees 2026, Rankings & Courses

Popular Holy Cross Courses and Fees at College of the Holy Cross 2027

College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate-only Jesuit liberal arts college that awards a single degree, the Bachelor of Arts, across all 43 majors. Programme length is a uniform four years, and tuition is charged as one flat annual figure regardless of major, so Indian applicants can plan a single yearly outlay across STEM, social science and humanities tracks alike.

Top 5 Undergraduate Programmes at Holy Cross for Indian Students 2027

The five majors below are the most commonly chosen tracks for Indian first-years. All five carry the same 2026-2027 tuition of USD 70,220, and the entry-requirement column translates Holy Cross’s holistic academic standard into a Class 12 percentage band Indian applicants can benchmark against.

Insider note: Economics and Political Science attract the largest share of Indian undergraduates, followed by Computer Science, which pairs a small cohort with 4-year study depth. STEM majors like Biology and Chemistry qualify Indian graduates for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after the standard 12-month OPT.

Read More: Holy Cross Programs and Fees Guide

College of the Holy Cross Admission 2027

Holy Cross runs one intake per year for the Fall (August) start, with three application rounds: Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2 and Regular Decision. Indian applicants use the same platforms and dates as US applicants.

Holy Cross UG Admission Dates 2027

The dates below reflect the Fall 2027 cycle as officially published by the Holy Cross admissions office. Both Early Decision rounds are binding for admitted students; Regular Decision is non-binding.

Planning note: Early Decision 2 gives Indian applicants a second binding-round chance if the November window is missed, and admit rates in ED rounds historically run higher than Regular Decision. Only apply ED if Holy Cross is your firm first choice, since the commitment is binding.

Read More: Holy Cross Admissions Guide for Indian Students

College of the Holy Cross Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Indian applicants submit through the Common Application or Coalition Application with Scoir, with all supporting documents uploaded through the same platform.

• Academic: Class 12 board result from CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge or a state board; competitive applicants typically present 80% and above (recommended, no fixed cutoff published).
• Standardised testing: Holy Cross is test-optional; SAT or ACT submission is not required and applicants who do not submit are not penalised.
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 100, IELTS 7.0, or Duolingo 120; Indian students from English-medium high schools are exempt from submitting a test score.
• Recommendations: 2 teacher recommendations and 1 counsellor recommendation; interview highly recommended but not required.

Test minimums are copied verbatim from the Holy Cross international admissions page and are non-negotiable for applicants required to test. The application fee is USD 65 (INR 5,720), and admitted students confirm enrolment with a USD 500 (INR 44,000) deposit.

Key insight: The English test waiver for Indian applicants from English-medium schools is one of the more generous in the US liberal arts tier. If your Class 12 school certificate confirms English as the medium of instruction, request the waiver in your application supplement rather than sitting IELTS or TOEFL.

College of the Holy Cross Acceptance Rate 2027

Holy Cross admitted 18% of the 9,568 applicants to the Class of 2028, per the college’s official admissions statistics. This is the current headline rate and applies to the total pool; the international sub-pool typically runs tighter, though a specific international rate is not officially disclosed.

Holy Cross has moved into the sub-20% band over the past three admission cycles, tracking a wider pattern of tightening admit rates at ranked US liberal arts colleges.

Reality check: An 18% admit rate places Holy Cross in the same academic band as Colby, Bates and Trinity. Indian applicants should apply Early Decision 1 or 2 where feasible, since binding rounds historically improve individual admit odds even at this competitiveness tier.

Read More: Holy Cross Acceptance Rate Analysis

Holy Cross Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

Total 2026-2027 cost of attendance sits at USD 91,740 (INR 80.73 lakh), covering tuition, mandatory fees, room and board. Books, travel and personal expenses add roughly USD 2,500 to 3,500 (INR 2.2 to 3.1 lakh) per year.

Holy Cross Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2026-2027

Tuition is flat across all 43 majors and is invoiced annually in two instalments per semester. The figures below are official Holy Cross rates for 2026-2027 published by the Bursar’s Office.

Monthly Cost of Living in Worcester for Indian Students

Worcester, Massachusetts, is New England’s second-largest city and offers costs meaningfully below Boston and New York. Room and board on the Holy Cross residential campus is the norm for first-years; the figures below split the on-campus estimate and add out-of-pocket categories.

Insider note: First-year and sophomore residence is guaranteed on campus, and about 90% of Holy Cross undergraduates live in college housing across all four years. Off-campus one-bedroom rents in Worcester’s Main South neighbourhood run USD 1,100 to 1,500 (INR 96,800 to 1.32 lakh) per month, cheaper than the on-campus rate for many students.

Read More: Study in USA Cost of Living Guide for Indian Students

College of the Holy Cross Campus, Facilities and Student Life

Holy Cross occupies a 174-acre hilltop campus in Worcester, Massachusetts, 45 minutes west of Boston by rail and 3 hours from New York by road. Approximately 3,000 undergraduates live and study across a compact residential campus.

• Location and transport: Regular MBTA commuter rail service links Worcester Union Station to Boston South Station; free campus shuttle to downtown Worcester.
• Housing: 90% of undergraduates live in on-campus residence halls; four-year housing guarantee for admitted international students.
• Signature facility: Dinand Library holds over 700,000 volumes, and the Prior Performing Arts Center opened in 2023 as a major arts hub.
• Indian community: The South Asian Students Association hosts Diwali, Holi and cultural food events each semester; small but active undergraduate cohort.

What Indian students say: Small classes with an average size of 19 give direct professor access, unusual for US colleges of this rank. The Jesuit values programme is central to campus life; secular Indian students are welcomed without pressure to participate in religious activities.

College of the Holy Cross Scholarships 2027

Holy Cross does not offer merit-based scholarships to international students. Instead, the college provides need-based financial aid that meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted Indian applicants, one of the more generous international aid policies in the US liberal arts tier.

All aid at Holy Cross is need-assessed, not merit-assessed. Indian applicants must submit the CSS Profile alongside the Common Application, and the amount awarded is calculated from parental income, assets and family circumstances.

Planning note: International aid at Holy Cross is competitive and factored into admission decisions, since the college is need-aware for international applicants. Indian families with an annual income below USD 100,000 (INR 88 lakh) equivalent are strong candidates for meaningful grant packages of USD 40,000 (INR 35.2 lakh) or more per year.

Read More: Holy Cross Scholarships Guide for Indian Students

College of the Holy Cross Rankings 2027

Holy Cross is ranked #34 among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States as per US News Best Colleges 2026. The college is a specialist undergraduate institution and does not appear in QS or THE world university rankings, which focus on research universities awarding doctoral degrees.

As per US News 2026, Holy Cross also places within the top 30 in the "Best Undergraduate Teaching" sub-category for National Liberal Arts Colleges, a signal of small-class instructional depth.

Key insight: For Indian F-1 visa applicants, the US News National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking is the recognised signal at consulate interviews for LAC applicants, not QS or THE. Top-40 placement in this category is credible ranking evidence for visa officers and Indian employers assessing US bachelor’s degrees.

Read More: Holy Cross Rankings Analysis

College of the Holy Cross Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

Holy Cross is undergraduate-only, so placement data reflects first-destination outcomes for BA graduates rather than MBA or MS starting salaries. The college’s Career Development office runs on-campus recruiting and alumni-mentored career paths in finance, consulting, healthcare and law preparation.

• First-destination outcome rate: Over 95% of Holy Cross graduates report being employed, in graduate school or in a service programme within six months of graduation, as per Holy Cross Career Development office self-reported data.
• Median first-year salary: USD 55,000 to 75,000 (INR 48.4 to 66 lakh) for BA graduates entering employment, varying by sector; market-median estimate.
• Common employers: Financial services, consulting, healthcare and non-profit sectors dominate; Boston-based firms recruit heavily given regional proximity.
• Post-study work: 12-month OPT for all majors, plus a 24-month STEM OPT extension for eligible science majors, giving Indian graduates up to 3 years of US work authorisation.
• Career support: Dedicated Career Development office with alumni mentorship, on-campus recruiting and graduate-school advising, particularly for pre-med and pre-law tracks.

Insider note: Holy Cross’s alumni network in Boston financial services and consulting is disproportionately strong for a college of its size. Indian students targeting investment banking or management consulting analyst roles should engage the Career Development office by the sophomore year rather than waiting until senior year.

College of the Holy Cross vs Peer Universities

The peer set below groups Holy Cross with three other Jesuit institutions and two similarly ranked US liberal arts colleges that Indian applicants often compare. Ranks reflect the US News Best Colleges 2026 edition; fees are 2026-2027 published rates or best-available estimates.

Holy Cross stands out in this peer set for combining the small-college teaching model with a firm 100% demonstrated-need aid promise for admitted international students. Boston College and Fordham offer graduate options Holy Cross does not, but at a substantially larger scale and with less individual undergraduate attention.

College of the Holy Cross fits Indian students seeking a small residential US liberal arts experience, four-year faculty attention, and 100% need-based aid for admitted applicants. Total annual investment sits at USD 91,740 (INR 80.73 lakh) against BA-graduate median first-year salaries of USD 55,000 to 75,000 (INR 48.4 to 66 lakh) plus the F-1 visa route with 12-month OPT and 24-month STEM OPT extension for eligible majors.

Holy Cross is not the right fit if you need an MBA, MS, PhD or large research-university scale, since the college awards only the BA and enrols under 3,000 students. Applicants in that tier should compare Boston College, which offers graduate schools and larger enrolment in the same Jesuit tradition.