More selective than 82% of Connecticut colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $76,074. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of Connecticut colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 91% of Connecticut colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Fairfield University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 15,463 applicants, Fairfield University admitted 6,956 and 1,436 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1260–1390 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Fairfield University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Fairfield University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Fairfield University took 4.0 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Connecticut. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $33,302 | $134,540 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $35,155 | $142,026 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $26,953 | $108,890 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $44,077 | $178,071 | 3.5 years |
| $110k+ | $50,773 | $205,123 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.0 years, the average time graduates took (81% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($88,794) minus $37,781 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CT (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $51,013 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Fairfield University majors, earnings & careers
Fairfield University offers 48 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Fairfield University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $120,303 | $26,500 |
| Accounting | $110,586 | $26,633 |
| Finance | $106,663 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $101,831 | $27,000 |
| International Business | $101,411 | $27,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $96,937 | — |
| International Relations | $94,347 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,633 | $26,876 |
Quick list of all 48 majors
- Accounting$110,586
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration$84,962
- Chemistry—
- Communications$78,081
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Data Analytics—
- Economics$120,303
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$62,527
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$106,663
- German—
- History—
- International Business$101,411
- International Relations$94,347
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems$96,937
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$86,740
- Mathematics$84,078
- Mechanical Engineering$91,633
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$101,831
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$83,709
- Psychology$70,211
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Bridgeport
Overall prices in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,399. Housing costs 50% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 34 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (very high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Greater Bridgeport Planning Re
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Greater Bridgeport Planning Re at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Fairfield University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Connecticut by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield University | 33% | $48,095 | 84% | $88,794 | This school |
| Trinity College | 29% | $34,832 | 84% | $90,779 | |
| Connecticut College | 37% | $36,175 | 82% | $75,001 | |
| Wesleyan University | 16% | $30,177 | 93% | $73,897 | |
| University of New Haven | 60% | $34,192 | 63% | $60,126 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Fairfield University would cost you $13,263 more per year than Trinity College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Fairfield University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$12,420).
- Trinity College gives aided families $25,029 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Connecticut resident | Fairfield University | Trinity College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $58,350 | $70,770 | −$12,420 |
| Books & supplies | $1,175 | $1,000 | +$175 |
| Housing & meals | $17,400 | $17,990 | −$590 |
| Personal & travel | $2,005 | $1,500 | +$505 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,856 | −$3,420 | +$564 |
| Sticker price | $76,074 | $87,840 | −$11,766 |
| Average grants | −$27,979 | −$53,008 | +$25,029 |
| You pay | $48,095 | $34,832 | +$13,263 |
“+” means Fairfield University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Fairfield University
What is the Fairfield University acceptance rate?
Fairfield University accepts 33% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,956 of 15,463 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1260–1390 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
How much does Fairfield University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $76,074 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $48,095 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $33,302 and families earning $110k+ pay $50,773.
How much do Fairfield University graduates earn?
Former Fairfield University students earn a median $88,794 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Fairfield University graduation rate?
84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 91% return for their second year.
How long does a Fairfield University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Fairfield University costs about $108,890 after grants ($26,953 a year for 4.0 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $88,794 ten years after starting, $51,013 more than high school graduates in Connecticut ($37,781), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Fairfield University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/fairfield-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).