Fairfield University

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location: Northeast
Setting: Large Town Setting
Type: Private
Affiliation: Roman Catholic
Size: Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Mascot: Stags
Fairfield University From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. About 3,900 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students study in Fairfield's six schools and colleges: The Fairfield College of Arts and Sciences, The Charles F. Dolan School of Business, The School of Engineering, The School of Nursing, The Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, and The University College.

History and tradition

History

Fairfield University was founded in 1942 by Society of Jesus when the Jesuits acquired the two contiguous estates of the Jennings and Lashar families. In the same year the Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J., the Provincial Superior of the New England Jesuit Province appointed the Rev. John J. McEleney, S.J. the first President of the "Fairfield University of Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J." and Vicar of the Fairfield College Preparatory School. In 1944, the Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J. became the second President. During his tenure, Fairfield University was chartered by the State of Connecticut to grant degrees in 1945; the first class of 303 male students was admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences in 1947; the College of Arts and Sciences was accredited by the State of Connecticut and the first summer session of undergraduate courses was held in 1949.

A detailed account of the history of Fairfield University was written by the late Rev. Joseph MacDonnell, S.J. in his book entitled If these Stones Could Speak. Excerpts of this account can be found on his website beginning with Fairfield University's Ur-History. Further, a brief history of The Jesuits in Fairfield can be found on The Fairfield Jesuit Community website.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Students & Campus Life
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,020
On Campus Housing: Available
Full Time Students: 100%
Athletic Programs: Available
> More Students & Campus Life
Expenses
Average Tuition: $ 30,235
Students Receiving Aid: 69%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid
Admissions
Application Fee: $ 55
Selectivity: Selective
> More Admissions

Students

General
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 56%
Men 44%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 82%
Other 8%
Hispanic 5%
Asian 3%
African-American 2%
Geography
In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 82%
In-State 18%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
New York 25%
Massachusetts 22%
Connecticut 18%
New Jersey 17%
Pennsylvania 3%
Percent of Students International: 2%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 61%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Basketball (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Baseball (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Track (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 30,235    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 29,730    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 505    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 3,592 7%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 3,438 13%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 11,014 55%  
Student Loans:
$ 2,772 65%  
Any Aid:
  69%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 64% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 96%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 540, Math: 560
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 630, Math: 650
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 14%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 23, Verbal: 23, Math: 23
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 27, Verbal: 27, Math: 27

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 55.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

Degree Programs at Fairfield University

Associate's Level Majors
Bachelor's Level Majors

College Advice

Yahoo
I'm now starting to look for colleges to go to next year. I'm really thinking about Loyola College in MD or Fairfield University in CT or UMASS Amherst. I'm really shooting for Loyola .. any suggestions? How hard are they to get into?
19 months ago
Best Answer
I live really close to Fairfield U! It's a beautiful area and Connecticut rocks! You'll also be 50 min by train from NYC. Can it be any better? How are your grades? It's not THAT hard to get into, but it is ranked as competitive.
Best Answer
Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT is accredited. It's a Jesuit school, meaning that it's affiliated with the Catholic Church. Normally, that impacts the undergraduate teaching much more than the graduate, so I wouldn't necessarily shy away from the school if you aren't Catholic. In fact, I got my grad degree from another Jesuit school, and I'm far from Catholic. I was completely comfortable. Fairfield is more of a "regional university" than a national university. So it's no MIT, but it's certainly reputable. As for its rank, it's about 8th out of regional universities in the Northeast, but that probably puts it at or just below top 50 overall, when you add in the other types of schools in the region. That's because, generally speaking, schools that offer PhDs hold higher rankings, especially in the sciences. Fairfield only goes as high as an MS. With that said, the academics are reputable, the school is reputable, and it is accredited. So, is it good? It's okay, so if you feel it's the right fit for you, then go. But if you are also considering some more prestigious schools, then you may want to go to one of those instead.

Photos

  • Bellarmine Hall
    Bellarmine Hall [source]
  • left
    left [source]
  • "Madonna and Child", c. 1525
    "Madonna and Child", c. 1525 [source]
  • Fairfield Stags
    Fairfield Stags [source]
  • 125px
    125px [source]
  • Clam Jam at Fairfield U, 1997
    Clam Jam at Fairfield U, 1997 [source]
  • Image:Fairfield University logo.png
    Image:Fairfield University logo.png [source]
  • Main Entrance and Alumni House
    Main Entrance and Alumni House [source]