What Holy Cross College does

Holy Cross College is a private Catholic, coeducational, residential liberal arts college located on a 70-acre wooded campus in Notre Dame, Indiana, founded in 1966 by the Brothers of Holy Cross. The institution serves approximately 600 undergraduate students drawn from more than 36 states, Washington D.C., and 16 countries, offering 15 majors, 21 minors, and 27 tracks leading primarily to Bachelor of Arts degrees, with a curriculum structured around four cohort-based seminars that form students in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The college operates within a tri-campus community alongside the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College, providing students cross-registration, shared library access, athletic events, and over 500 student organizations, plus guaranteed admission pathways to graduate programs at the partner institutions.

Revenue is generated primarily through undergraduate tuition ($37,470 annual for 12-19 credit hours), comprehensive student fees ($1,500), room and meals ($13,600), the Basil Books fee ($800), and auxiliary services, with merit scholarships of $11,000-$22,000 reducing net realized revenue. The go-to-market model is a traditional admissions funnel leveraging the Common Application, a proprietary Scholars to Saints Application, campus visits, preview days, social media (@HoCroAdmissions on Instagram), and college fair participation. Core technology is commodity higher education infrastructure: Jenzabar for the SIS/ERP, Moodle for learning management, Microsoft 365 for productivity, Handshake for career services, and Nelnet for tuition payment plans.

The product surface extends beyond the residential undergraduate degree to include the Moreau College Initiative (a prison education program at Westville Correctional Facility that has awarded 145+ AA and 49 BA degrees since 2012), pre-college programs (Saints & Scholars Institute and Cross & Anchor Leadership Summit), study abroad partnerships in Rome, London, and Krakow, NAIA athletics in five sports, and pathway/dual-degree programs. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and, for its education program, by CAEP, and is governed by a Board of Trustees under the Congregation of Holy Cross, currently led by President Marco J. Clark, Ed.D.

Name

Holy Cross College

Legal name

Holy Cross College

Website

https://hcc-nd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Holy Cross College is a private Catholic residential liberal arts college in Notre Dame, Indiana, serving approximately 600 undergraduate students through 15 majors. It operates within a tri-campus partnership with the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College and runs a notable prison education program at Westville Correctional Facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Liberal arts education
• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Catholic college
• Residential college

Headquarters

HQ city

Notre Dame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: Full-time undergraduate students pay annual tuition of $37,470 (12-19 credit hours) plus comprehensive student fee of $1,500. Additional costs include room and meals ($13,600), Basil Books fee ($800), and various course-specific fees. The college generates revenue primarily from tuition, fees, and auxiliary services including housing and dining.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holy Cross College is a private Catholic, co-ed, residential liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts degrees through 15 majors and 21 minors on a 70-acre campus in Notre Dame, Indiana. The college delivers instruction through a College Curriculum of four cohort-based seminars and provides auxiliary student services including housing, dining, financial aid, athletics, library resources, and the Moreau College Initiative prison education program. Revenue is generated primarily from undergraduate tuition and fees, room and board, scholarships, and philanthropic donations.

Product overview

Holy Cross College is a Catholic, co-ed, residential liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts degrees through 15 majors and 21 minors. The institution operates on a unified platform with its College Curriculum (four cohort-based seminars) as the core educational framework integrated with academic programs. Key offerings include the Moreau College Initiative (prison education program), Saints & Scholars Institute and Cross & Anchor Leadership Summit (pre-college programs), Tri-Campus Partnership with Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College, Pathway Programs for graduate admission, and comprehensive student services including McKenna Library, Financial Aid, and Athletics. The college serves approximately 600 undergraduate students on a 70-acre campus in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Bachelor of Arts degrees in 15 majors and 21 minors across disciplines including Biology, Business, Communications, Computer Science, Elementary Education, English, History, Liberal Studies, Mathematics, Philosophy, Politics and Public Service, Psychology, Theology, and Visual Arts.
• College Curriculum (Cohort-Based Seminars) Four cohort-based seminars — Mind & Heart Seminar, Driscoll College Seminar, Common Good Seminar, and Moreau Senior Seminar — that form students into scholars, citizens, leaders, and disciples through the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
• Moreau College Initiative (MCI) Prison education program providing Associate and Bachelor of Arts degrees in liberal arts to incarcerated men at Westville Correctional Facility in Northwest Indiana, serving approximately 80-90 students annually with over 145 AA and 49 BA degrees awarded since 2012.
• Saints & Scholars Institute (SSI) Pre-college summer program for high school students to earn college credit in Theology, explore service and leadership in the Church, and discover connections between Theology and fields including Ecology, Education, Media, Music, Science, and Visual Arts.
• Cross & Anchor Leadership Summit (CALS) Leadership certificate program for Indiana high school students selecting 20 participants annually to acquire leadership skills, develop Community Impact Projects, and compete for prize money.
• Tri-Campus Partnership Program Collaborative arrangement with University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College enabling students to access shared resources including libraries (Hesburgh and Cushwa-Leighton), 500+ clubs, athletic events, cross-registration, and guaranteed admission pathways to graduate programs.
• Pathway Programs (Graduate Admission) Guaranteed admission pathways to Master's programs at the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College for Holy Cross College graduates.
• Driscoll Dual-Degree Program Dual-degree program allowing students to earn degrees from both Holy Cross College and partner institutions.
• Campus Visit Programs On-campus and virtual visit options including information sessions, campus tours, Preview Day events, and Holy Cross Live virtual events for prospective students.
• Intercollegiate Athletics Program NAIA athletics program offering men's and women's Basketball, Golf, Tennis, and Soccer with the mascot Basil the Saint Bernard.
• Financial Aid Services Comprehensive financial aid services including merit scholarships ($11,000-$22,000 annual range), need-based grants, federal and state aid, loan programs, and specialized scholarships including Notre Dame Tuition Benefit and C.S.C. Legacy Scholarships.
• Student Employment Programs Federal Work-Study and campus employment opportunities for students, with positions available on campus and at community service agencies including La Casa de Amistad.
• McKenna Library Academic library providing access to over 20,000 print books, online databases (EBSCOhost, JSTOR, Nexis Uni, PubMed), interlibrary loan services, and research support for students and faculty.
• Study Abroad Programs Study abroad partnerships with John Cabot University (Rome), Saint Mary's University (London), and John Paul II Experience (Krakow) allowing Holy Cross students to study internationally while remaining enrolled at Holy Cross College.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% retention rate from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana Department of CorrectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership to provide college education to incarcerated men at Westville Correctional Facility through Moreau College Initiative. Since 2012, has awarded 145+ Associate and 49 Bachelor of Arts degrees.
• John Cabot University (Rome, Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad partnership allowing Holy Cross students to study in Rome, Italy. Students remain Holy Cross students and receive credit. $5,000 surcharge applies. Students can take one course per semester.
• Saint Mary's University (Twickenham, England)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad partnership allowing Holy Cross students to study in London area, England. Students remain Holy Cross students and receive credit. $1,000 surcharge applies.
• John Paul II Experience (Krakow, Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad program in Krakow, Poland focused on Catholic intellectual tradition. $1,000 surcharge applies. Insurance included as part of fees.
• University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-campus partnership sharing resources including libraries (Hesburgh and Cushwa-Leighton), athletic events access, over 500 student clubs, and pathways to graduate programs. Students can take 1 course per semester at Notre Dame.
• Saint Mary's CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-campus partnership providing collaborative courses, shared student activities, and pathways to graduate programs. Part of 46556 zip code community.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Valparaiso University: Midwest private university with Lutheran-affiliated heritage, similar size, and overlapping recruitment geography. Several current Holy Cross administrators previously worked at Valparaiso.
• Marian University: Catholic university in Indianapolis, Indiana offering liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Comparable as a small Catholic institution competing in the same Indiana student market.
• Saint Joseph's College (Indiana): Small Catholic liberal arts college in Indiana with similar mission-driven positioning, comparable scale, and overlapping recruitment geography in the Midwest.
• Saint Mary's College: Catholic women's liberal arts college in Notre Dame, Indiana and a core tri-campus partner with Holy Cross and Notre Dame. Most directly comparable given shared location, Catholic identity, and cross-registration.
• Saint Xavier University: Catholic Mercy institution in Chicago with similar enrollment size, urban-adjacent positioning, and comparable reliance on tuition revenue and merit aid.
• University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne): Catholic university in Indiana offering liberal arts and professional programs at a similar scale to Holy Cross. Comparable in mission, regional recruitment, and program mix.

Emerging players

• Bard College: Private liberal arts college known for prison education through the Bard Prison Initiative, a direct comparable to Holy Cross's Moreau College Initiative and relevant benchmark for scaling the MCI model.

Broad incumbents

• University of Notre Dame: Major Catholic research university sharing the tri-campus community with Holy Cross. Comparable through mission and geography, though at vastly larger scale and research orientation.

Regional players

• Walsh University: Catholic liberal arts university in North Canton, Ohio serving a similar demographic of first-generation and faith-oriented students in the Midwest, though in a different sub-region.
• Mount Marty University: Small Catholic liberal arts university with comparable enrollment scale and Benedictine mission, recruiting in a different regional market but mirroring the small-Catholic-college business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/hocroadmissions
• Xx.com/HolyCrossND
• Facebookfacebook.com/92121063070
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-cross-college-cp

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holy Cross College