Fairfield University acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Fairfield University · Private nonprofit · Fairfield, CT · 4,968 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Fairfield University admitted 45.0% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 71.2% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $60,810 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 71.2% | 9,254 | 6,585 |
| 2014 | 71.5% | 9,978 | 7,137 |
| 2015 | 65.0% | 10,767 | 6,995 |
| 2016 | 61.5% | 11,055 | 6,795 |
| 2017 | 60.6% | 11,218 | 6,794 |
| 2018 | 60.3% | 11,361 | 6,851 |
| 2019 | 57.1% | 12,315 | 7,035 |
| 2020 | 56.1% | 12,586 | 7,065 |
| 2021 | 55.8% | 12,674 | 7,073 |
| 2022 | 52.2% | 13,359 | 6,971 |
| 2023 | 45.0% | 15,463 | 6,956 |
Applications went from 9,254 in fall 2013 to 15,463 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $30,752 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $35,919 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $37,768 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $42,341 |
| Over $110,000 | $53,583 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $60,810 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $80,799 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $49,906 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 21% submitted the SAT, 5% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart University CT | 67.7% | $52,410 same for all |
| Wesleyan University CT | 17.1% | $73,128 same for all |
| Quinnipiac CT | 77.0% | $57,700 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Fairfield University has an admit rate of 45.0% for fall 2023, based on 15,463 applications and 6,956 admitted students.1 A decade earlier, in fall 2013, the rate was 71.2%, so it has fallen 26.2 percentage points.1 The decline is steady: the rate went down in 9 of the 10 yearly changes.1 Applications grew 67%, from 9,254 to 15,463, while admitted students grew only 6%, from 6,585 to 6,956.1
Fairfield is test-optional, and 21% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores and 5% submitted ACT scores.1
Fairfield charges $60,810 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, compared with a $51,428 median for the 14 private colleges in Connecticut.2 After grants, families in the $0 to $30,000 band paid $30,752 on average in 2024-25, the $48,001 to $75,000 band paid $37,768, and families over $110,000 paid $53,583.2
Fairfield graduated 85% of its 2019 entrants within 6 years, a figure that sits above Connecticut's median of 59%.2 Retention was 91%, and Pell grants reached only 9% of undergraduates.2 Median earnings were $101,587 10 years after entry, higher than the $69,320 median for Connecticut.2 Students who borrowed finished with median debt of $25,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 15,463 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 6,956 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,436 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 4,968 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 620 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 690 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 620 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 690 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 29 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 32 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 21% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 5% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $60,810 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $80,799 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $49,906 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $30,752 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $35,919 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $37,768 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $42,341 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $53,583 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 85% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 91% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 9% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $101,587 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $25,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Connecticut (N = 14) | $51,428 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Connecticut (N = 26) | 59% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry, Connecticut (N = 25) | $69,320 | College Scorecard, median MD_EARN_WNE_P10, bachelor's institutions, 2022-232 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Fairfield University, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page