More selective than 59% 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 $69,289. College Scorecard.
Higher than 64% of Connecticut colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 83% of Connecticut colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SHU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,284 applicants, Sacred Heart University admitted 9,667 and 1,905 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SHU 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 SHU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Sacred Heart University took 4.1 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 | $38,691 | $158,246 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $40,517 | $165,715 | 4.4 years |
| $48–75k | $41,647 | $170,336 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $46,348 | $189,563 | 5.1 years |
| $110k+ | $48,217 | $197,208 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (68% 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 ($75,059) minus $37,781 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CT (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $37,278 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.
SHU majors, earnings & careers
Sacred Heart University offers 44 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Education · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at SHU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $103,244 | $27,000 |
| Finance | $94,733 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $93,209 | $26,908 |
| Accounting | $91,777 | $27,000 |
| Economics | $80,970 | $23,250 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $76,507 | $26,000 |
| Business Administration | $74,883 | $25,000 |
| Marketing | $73,514 | $26,434 |
Quick list of all 44 majors
- Accounting$91,777
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$76,507
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$72,404
- Business Administration$74,883
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications$59,068
- Computer and Information Sciences$93,209
- Computer Engineering—
- Criminal Justice$55,710
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$80,970
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$55,399
- Finance$94,733
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$68,092
- Marketing$73,514
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$103,244
- Philosophy—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$65,879
- Psychology$61,373
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Work$58,384
- Sociology$54,183
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art$61,998
- 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 →Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) → Radiologic technologist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% 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 SHU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart University | 65% | $46,174 | 73% | $75,059 | This school |
| Quinnipiac University | 72% | $40,675 | 76% | $83,759 | |
| University of New Haven | 60% | $34,192 | 63% | $60,126 | |
| Goodwin University | — | $29,249 | 58% | $43,596 | |
| Fairfield University | 33% | $48,095 | 84% | $88,794 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Sacred Heart University would cost you $5,499 more per year than Quinnipiac University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Sacred Heart University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$5,076).
- Quinnipiac University gives aided families $8,425 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Connecticut resident | SHU | Quinnipiac University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $50,404 | $55,480 | −$5,076 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,100 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $18,450 | $16,470 | +$1,980 |
| Personal & travel | $2,650 | $2,660 | −$10 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,415 | −$3,495 | +$80 |
| Sticker price | $69,289 | $72,215 | −$2,926 |
| Average grants | −$23,115 | −$31,540 | +$8,425 |
| You pay | $46,174 | $40,675 | +$5,499 |
“+” means SHU 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 SHU
What is the SHU acceptance rate?
Sacred Heart University accepts 65% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,667 of 14,284 applicants were admitted.
How much does Sacred Heart University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $69,289 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $46,174 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $38,691 and families earning $110k+ pay $48,217.
How much do SHU graduates earn?
Former Sacred Heart University students earn a median $75,059 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SHU graduation rate?
73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.
How long does a SHU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Sacred Heart University costs about $170,336 after grants ($41,647 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $75,059 ten years after starting, $37,278 more than high school graduates in Connecticut ($37,781), so the cost is repaid in 4.6 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: “Sacred Heart University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/sacred-heart-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).