Sacred Heart University
A good fit for students considering a private nonprofit institution in Connecticut. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $61,800 within 10 years.
About This School
Sacred Heart University is a private nonprofit institution located in Fairfield, Connecticut with approximately 7,087 undergraduate students enrolled. Sacred Heart University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 65%. The average net price after financial aid is $46,174 per year. The graduation rate is 73%, and the typical graduate earns $61,800 within 10 years of enrollment.
Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a private Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1963 by Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart was the first Catholic university in the United States to be staffed by the laity.
Founded as the first lay-staffed Catholic university in the U.S., this Fairfield, CT school offers a solid return on investment — median earnings of $61,800 ten years out, with a relatively manageable median debt of $19,860 at graduation. The 85% freshman retention rate signals that students are generally happy once they arrive, though the 75% graduation rate means roughly 1 in 4 students don't finish, which is worth asking about during a visit. Worth considering if you're drawn to a mid-sized Catholic university with a strong Connecticut location and can negotiate the $45,459 average net price down further through aid.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 0% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Sacred Heart University graduates earn most above the national rate in Accounting and Related Services ($91,777 vs $76,194 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 252 | $103,244 | $88,910 | +$14,334 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 146 | $74,883 | $68,257 | +$6,626 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 130 | $94,733 | $83,343 | +$11,390 |
| Marketing | 104 | $73,514 | $69,303 | +$4,211 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 87 | $91,777 | $76,194 | +$15,583 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 86 | $76,507 | $70,786 | +$5,721 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 75 | $59,068 | $56,359 | +$2,709 |
| Biology, General | 71 | $72,404 | $57,214 | +$15,190 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 49 | $55,710 | $55,378 | +$332 |
| Economics | 32 | $80,970 | $82,686 | −$1,716 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 26 | $55,399 | $48,590 | +$6,809 |
| Social Work | 18 | $58,384 | $51,790 | +$6,594 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (7,087 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
Schools Like This in Connecticut
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Fairfield, CT · Private nonprofit
University of New Haven
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University of Hartford
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Wesleyan University
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See How Colleges Compare
Sacred Heart University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Sacred Heart University?
Sacred Heart University has an acceptance rate of 65%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Sacred Heart University hard to get into?
Sacred Heart University is moderately selective, with an acceptance rate of 65%. Solid grades and a complete application give most applicants a real shot.
How much does Sacred Heart University cost?
The average net price at Sacred Heart University is about $46,174 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Sacred Heart University?
Sacred Heart University has a graduation rate of 73%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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