Denison University vs College of the Holy Cross: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

College of the Holy Cross is the more selective of the two, admitting 17.0% of applicants versus 19.5% at Denison University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $18,234 per year at Denison University versus $20,234 at College of the Holy Cross. Denison University's yield rate is 26.0%, versus 49.0% at College of the Holy Cross.

Denison University vs College of the Holy Cross: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricDenison UniversityCollege of the Holy Cross
Overall acceptance rate19.5%17.0%
Early acceptance rate24.8%55.0%
SAT middle 50%1270–14201250–1410
Avg unweighted GPA3.853.81
Yield rate26.0%49.0%
Class size623835
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$18,234$20,234
Net price, over $110,000 income$52,234$54,234

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2025–26 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Denison University harder to get into than College of the Holy Cross?

No. College of the Holy Cross is more selective: it admits 17.0% of applicants, versus 19.5% at Denison University, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Denison University or College of the Holy Cross?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $18,234 per year at Denison University and $20,234 at College of the Holy Cross, so Denison University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

More comparisons

Colorado College vs Denison UniversityDenison University vs Kenyon CollegeDenison University vs Trinity CollegeColorado College vs College of the Holy CrossCollege of the Holy Cross vs Trinity College

Stats compare the schools — the simulation compares you against each school's applicant pool.

Estimate your chances at Denison University and College of the Holy Cross