College of the Holy Cross: Rankings, Academics, and History

Introduction

The College of the Holy Cross, a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, holds a significant place in American higher education. Founded in 1843 by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, it stands as the first Catholic college in New England. This article delves into the college's rankings, academic offerings, history, campus life, and notable alumni, providing a comprehensive overview of this esteemed institution.

A Legacy of Academic Excellence

Holy Cross is a four-year, residential undergraduate institution with approximately 3,000 students. The college offers 64 academic programs, including interdisciplinary and self-designed majors in liberal arts disciplines. The student-faculty ratio at College of the Holy Cross is 9:1, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. All Bachelor of Arts candidates must successfully complete 32 semester courses in eight semesters of full-time study to graduate.

The college's commitment to Jesuit values is reflected in its embrace of theological thought, including liberation theology and social justice. Holy Cross has embraced sometimes controversial schools of theological thought, including liberation theology and social justice. Since 2000, the college has hosted a conference allowing seminars from Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

Rankings and Recognition

College of the Holy Cross is ranked No. #27 in National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2026 edition of Best Colleges. It's also ranked No. #18 in Lowest Acceptance Rates. U.S. News & World Report has recognized the College of the Holy Cross 33rd among national liberal arts colleges, noting significantly improved performance on measures related to student outcomes. One factor accounting for the rise in the College’s ranking this year were significant improvements related to student outcomes.

According to USA Today College, the College of the Holy Cross ranks No. 4 on “The 10 best colleges in Massachusetts” list. USA Today College says “Holy Cross is a highly-selective liberal arts college devoted to undergraduate education. College Factual ranks Holy Cross No. 23 overall out of 1,394 Best Colleges nationwide.

A Storied History

The College of the Holy Cross was founded by Benedict Joseph Fenwick, second Bishop of Boston, as the first Catholic college in New England. Its establishment followed Fenwick's efforts to create a Catholic college in Boston which had been thwarted by the city's Protestant civic leaders. From the beginning of his tenure as bishop, Fenwick intended to establish a Catholic college within the boundaries of his diocese; a new influx of immigrants after 1830, consisting mostly of Catholic Irish Americans, prompted the need for a Jesuit educational institution.

The site of the college, Mount Saint James, was originally occupied by a Catholic boarding school run by James Fitton, with his lay collaborator Joseph Brigden. Fenwick Hall, named after Benedict Joseph Fenwick, was one of Holy Cross' inaugural structures. The school opened in October 1843 with Jesuit Thomas F. Mulledy, former president of Georgetown University, as its first president, and on the second day of November, with six students aged 9 to 19, the first classes were held. Within three years, the enrollment had increased to 100 students.

Since its founding, Holy Cross has produced the fifth most members of the Catholic clergy out of all American Catholic colleges. Fenwick Hall, the school's main building, was completely destroyed by fire in 1852. Petitions to secure a charter for the college from the state legislature were denied in 1847 for a variety of reasons, including anti-Catholicism on the part of some legislators. The increased rate of immigration from Ireland during the famine years roused resistance from some residents of Massachusetts. Initially, Holy Cross diplomas were signed by the president of Georgetown University.

In 1998, Holy Cross initiated an eight-year capital campaign, "Lift High the Cross", with a three-year quiet period. The campaign for Holy Cross ended in fiscal 2006 with $216.3 million raised, surpassing its original goal of $175 million. The funds allowed Holy Cross to establish an additional 12 new faculty positions, along with more than 75 newly endowed scholarships for students. On July 1, 2000, Michael C. McFarland became the president of the college. In 2011, Philip L. Boroughs, the Vice President for Mission and Ministry at Georgetown University, was named McFarland's successor. In 2021, he was succeeded by Vincent D. Rougeau, dean of the Boston College Law School. In early 2018, the college began publicly exploring the possibility of changing its "Crusader" mascot and associated imagery.

The Mount Saint James Campus

Holy Cross is located on one of seven hills in the city outskirts of Worcester, Massachusetts. Its 175-acre (0.71 km2) campus is a registered arboretum and is marked by an irregular layout situated on the northern slope of the Mount Saint James hill, where a panoramic view of the city of Worcester is visible. The 37 college buildings include residential housing and academic buildings in the middle sections of the campus and athletic and practice facilities on the outskirts on its northern and southern ends.

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Anchoring the traditional campus gateway of Linden Lane are Stein and O'Kane Halls, the latter of which is marked by a clock tower. The oldest part of campus lies in this area with O'Kane is connected to Fenwick Hall, the first building designed in 1843. It also houses the admissions offices and the Brooks Concert Hall. This area includes on the hillside three bronze statues by Enzo Plazzotta, Georg Klobe, and Welrick. Notable buildings west of this area are Dinand Library; Smith Hall, the Hogan Campus Center; the Anthony S. Fauci Integrated Science Complex housing O'Neil, Swords, and Haberlin Halls; and Beaven Hall, a former dormitory which is home to an assortment of academic departments. The science complex was renamed for Dr. Anthony Fauci in 2022. Smith Hall, which opened in 2001, was financed in large part by Holy Cross alumnus Park B.

To the eastern end of campus lies Millard Art Center, St. Joseph Memorial Chapel, the Chaplains' Office (Campion House), and Loyola Hall, which served as the Jesuit residence in the past, but has since been converted into another hall for student housing. The most recent former Jesuit residence, Ciampi Hall, which has been converted to dormitories along with the new townhouse style senior housing buildings, lie on the southwest side of campus. The newest Jesuit housing is located on Kendig Street near the Luth Athletic Complex. The Prior Performing Arts Center is located near the Hogan Campus center, slightly north of the crest of Mount Saint James. In 2015, Holy Cross announced the construction of a $22 million facility in West Boylston, Massachusetts, comprising 52 acres and a complex to provide a retreat for students. It was opened in September 2016 as the Thomas P.

Library System

The Holy Cross Library System is composed of four libraries centrally located within the campus grounds. Dinand Library serves as the college's main library. It holds an estimated 601,930 books, serials, and periodicals. Originally opened in 1927, it expanded in 1978 with two new wings dedicated to the memory of Joshua and Leah Hiatt and victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Constructed in the 1920s, the room's ceiling is sectioned in a grid-like pattern and embellished with gold, painted trim, and carvings along the top of the interior walls. Large wooden candelabra are suspended from the ceiling, and Ionic columns - echoing those on the Library's exterior - anchor three sides of the room.

The Fenwick Music Library was founded in 1978. The Music Library houses collections of scores and recordings of 20th-century composers, world music recordings, and composer biographies. The O'Callahan Science Library, named in honor of Joseph T. The Rehm Library, dedicated in September 2001, is housed within Smith Hall. It serves as the primary public space for the Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture and other departments with offices within Smith Hall. Rehm Library houses a non-circulating collection of primary texts from an array of religious traditions.

Dinand Library also houses the College Archives which collects, preserves, and arranges records of permanent value from the college's foundation in 1843 to the present. The archives contain complete runs of all college publications including yearbooks, the college catalog, The Crusader, its predecessor The Tomahawk, the literary magazine The Purple, newsletters, pamphlets, and similar material. There is also an extensive collection of audiovisual material documenting theatrical plays, lectures, and sporting and other events. The College Archives also hold a Special Collections section which consists of a Rare Book Collection and the Jesuitana Collection (material by and about Jesuits). Noted collections include the papers of James Michael Curley, David I. Walsh, Louise Imogen Guiney, and Joseph J. Williams. There are also collections of material by and about Jesuits, college alumni, and friends of the college. The papers and medals of the first naval chaplain to receive the Medal of Honor, Joseph T. O'Callahan, are kept in the college archives.

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Student Life

A large number of student organizations are associated with the college. Holy Cross has a student-run radio station, WCHC-FM 88.1. WCHC is a non-profit radio station that broadcasts commercial-free year round. The athletics department carries live broadcasts of many of the school's football, basketball, and hockey games. Holy Cross also has a law journal, The Holy Cross Journal of Law & Public Policy, which is published annually by undergraduate students. The Campus Activities Board (CAB), a student-run organization, runs several committees that oversee campus-wide activities and student services with a focus on evening and weekend programming.

The school color is purple. There are two theories of how Holy Cross chose purple as its official color. The inner shield contains an open book (symbol of learning) and a cross of gold (symbol of Christian faith). Written in the book is the college's motto, In Hoc Signo Vinces, which translates as, "By this sign thou shalt conquer". The cross divides the lower part of the shield into quarters, which are alternately red and sable, the colors on the ancient shield of Worcester, England. The upper part of the shield has in its center the emblem of the Society of Jesus, a blazing sun with the letters IHS, the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek.

Holy Cross's athletic teams for both men and women are known as the Crusaders. It is reported that the name "Crusader" was first associated with Holy Cross in 1884 at an alumni banquet in Boston, where an engraved Crusader mounted on an armored horse appeared at the head of the menu. In 2018, the college decided to phase out of using the Knight imagery, retiring the Holy Cross mascot Iggy T. Crusader. Holy Cross sponsors 27 varsity sports, all of which compete at the NCAA Division I level (FCS for football). The Crusaders are members of the Patriot League, the Atlantic Hockey America for men's ice hockey, and Hockey East Association in women's ice hockey. Of its 27 varsity teams, Holy Cross supports 13 men's and 14 women's sports. The college is a founding member of the Patriot League, and claims that one-quarter of its student body participates in its varsity athletic programs.

Principal athletic facilities include the Fitton Field football stadium (capacity 23,500), Hart Recreation Center's basketball court (3,600), the Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field (3,000), Hart Ice Rink (1,600), Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium (1,320), and Smith Wellness Center located inside the Hart Center. Holy Cross is one of eight schools to have won an NCAA championship in both baseball and basketball, having won the 1952 College World Series and the 1947 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The college has also won the 1954 National Invitation Tournament and participated in the 1946 Orange Bowl. Since electing to focus more on academics than athletics, the college has had several notable moments on the national stage. In 2006, the Holy Cross men's ice hockey team upset the No. 1 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Housing

St. Upperclassmen students can choose, depending on the results of the housing lottery held in the Spring, between the Easy Street residence halls, minus Hanselman, or the upperclass residence halls in the lower portion of campus: Alumni, Carlin, and Loyola. The apartments in Williams Hall, Figge Hall and the senior townhouses are the most sought after living arrangements on campus. For Williams and Figge Halls, each apartment houses four students and is equipped with a bathroom with separate shower, kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms.

Tuition and Financial Aid

College of the Holy Cross accepts the Common Application and has a test-optional admissions policy. The school's tuition and fees are $68,090. Forty-five percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $39,310. The four-year graduation rate is 85%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $69,984.

Notable Alumni

As of November 2021, Holy Cross had more than 38,000 alumni. Holy Cross alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government, law, academia, business, arts, journalism, and athletics, among others. Clarence Thomas, United States Supreme Court Justice; Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and NBC's The Chris Matthews Show; and Basketball Hall of Fame members and Boston Celtics immortals Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn are among the college's most famous alumni. LSD pioneer Timothy Leary was a student at Holy Cross, though he withdrew after two years. Michael Harrington, author of The Other America and an influential figure in initiating the 1960s War on Poverty, was a graduate of the college, as was the famed pacifist leader Phillip Berrigan. Wendell Arthur Garrity, United States federal judge famous for issuing the 1974 order that Boston schools be desegregated by means of busing, is also an alumnus. Alumnus Thomas G. Kelley received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. Washington, D.C., lawyer Edward Bennett Williams was also a graduate.

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