Sacred Heart University vs Rider University

Sacred Heart University and Rider University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Sacred Heart, located in Fairfield, Connecticut, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Rider's 70% in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. While Rider's student body is slightly larger, Sacred Heart's student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 ensures personalized attention. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Rider excelling in business and Sacred Heart in health professions. Rider's higher graduation rate (75%) indicates a strong commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Rider University	Sacred Heart University
Overview
Location	Lawrenceville, New Jersey	Fairfield, Connecticut
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	86.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.9%	66.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1050 - 1270	N/A
ACT range	28 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%
Students submitting ACT score	4.0%
Total number of applicants	8,791	12,663
Total number of admissions given out	7,204	8,373
Admitted students who chose to enroll	638	1,842
Yield rate	8.9%	22.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$46,150	$60,042
Average net price	$23,781	$43,907
Tuition	$35,000	$44,960
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,020 Meal plan: $5,590	Room/dormitory: $11,500 Meal plan: $5,454
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,727	99.0% Average amount $19,690
Students receiving federal student loan	61.0% Average amount $5,246	63.0% Average amount $5,366
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $16,651	16.0% Average amount $28,281

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,222 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%	6,761 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Graduate students	982 Men 33.0% Women 67.0%	3,024 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	78.1%
International students	2.8%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,409	3,434
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York Connecticut New Jersey Mississippi Rhode Island

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Psychology Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.9%	73.5%
Dropout rate	38.6%	26.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,763 Year 2: $79,473 Year 3: $93,597 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,917 Year 2: $68,834 Year 3: $75,955 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $72,521 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $69,567 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $60,193 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $67,210 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,945 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $62,232 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $60,650 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,476 Year 2: $45,752 Year 3: $59,583 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,862 Year 2: $53,894 Year 3: $55,130 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,020 Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $54,983	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,278 Year 2: $92,829 Year 3: $100,493 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,676 Year 2: $73,949 Year 3: $93,313 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,919 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $82,778 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,350 Year 2: $74,929 Year 3: $78,642 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,605 Year 2: $74,652 Year 3: $77,798 Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $79,954 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,726 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,263 Year 2: $71,202 Year 3: $73,047 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $67,979 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $67,313 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,445 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $66,212 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,788 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $65,392

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