College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
5% gap between the two groups
30% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $14,343 |
| $30k–$48k | $16,179 |
| $48k–$75k | $12,682 |
| $75k–$110k | $27,711 |
| $110k+ | $56,284 |
How College of the Holy Cross compares
This college against the Massachusetts and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of College of the Holy Cross students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at College of the Holy Cross
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Associate's | $118,102 | $27,000 | +736% | Strong return |
| Mathematics | Associate's | $105,706 | $27,000 | +595% | Strong return |
| Chemistry | Associate's | $84,834 | $27,000 | +356% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $82,765 | $27,000 | +332% | Strong return |
| English Language and Literature, General | Associate's | $81,948 | $27,000 | +323% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $79,688 | $27,000 | +297% | Strong return |
| History | Associate's | $75,084 | $27,000 | +244% | Strong return |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Associate's | $74,806 | $26,975 | +241% | Strong return |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Associate's | $70,234 | $27,000 | +189% | Strong return |
| Sociology | Associate's | $68,340 | $26,449 | +168% | Strong return |
| Psychology, General | Associate's | $63,311 | $26,990 | +110% | Strong return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at College of the Holy Cross
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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