That is what we are going to build here for Fairfield University, in Fairfield, Connecticut. Not to tell you whether it is the right school for your child—no one but the two of you can decide that—but so that when you put it on the table alongside other options, you truly know it and not just its name and reputation.
What kind of university it is
Fairfield University is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution. The Carnegie system, which classifies the country's colleges by what they do, places it among schools that offer doctoral and professional programs, and within its undergraduate profile places it in the more selective admissions group.
It also describes it as highly residential: in the most recent data from that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in university-owned or affiliated housing, and eight out of ten studied full time. That tells you what kind of community it is, not whether your child should move there. Living on campus is not free either: room and board are charged separately, and we will look at that later.
It is in a suburb within the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metropolitan area, not in the center of a large city. If your child were considering living at home and commuting, the only real way to know how long it would take is to drive that route on a weekday, at the time of their classes. The map almost never tells the whole truth.
One note worth clarifying right away: Fairfield University does not have any of three specific designations—it is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. That does not say which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
The real size of the community
Fairfield had 6,289 enrolled students in the most recent official count. It is neither a small school nor a huge one; it falls in the range between 5,000 and 9,999, and compared with its peers—941 selective private four-year schools—it is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten of those schools have more students than it does.
But that total number can be misleading if your child is starting a bachelor's degree: 4,968 of those students are undergraduates and 1,321 are graduate students. If your child is just starting out, the number that matters is 4,968, not the total. A good portion of what makes this university large is people who have already completed a degree and returned for another one.
Within that undergraduate population, here is something that deserves your attention if your family is Latino: 7 out of every 100 students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with 941 similar selective private schools, it falls below half of the group. That does not make this school bad or another one with more students from that group good. It only counts who is enrolled today. If your child will be among the few, it is worth asking during the visit which student group, cultural center, or person in the admissions office speaks Spanish, and speaking with a Latino student who is already there before deciding.
There are also more women than men—57 out of every 100—and almost no adult students: only 1 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. And something that surprises many families: among first-time students, fewer than 25 out of every 100—exactly 15—had their permanent residence in Connecticut. Most come from other states or countries. This is a university that attracts people from elsewhere, not a primarily local school.
How academic life is structured
The year is organized into semesters, two terms of about 15 weeks each. The university accepts credit from AP exams—it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience—and it does enroll high school students in college courses through a formal dual-enrollment program. But accepting AP does not mean that every exam automatically earns credit: request the exact equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not assume the savings until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, Fairfield awarded 1,157 bachelor's degrees across 22 program families. But the distribution is not even: business and administration accounted for 483 of those 1,157 degrees, 42 out of every 100. It is clearly this school's most visible academic strength. Compared with 942 similar schools, Fairfield ranks in the top quarter for the number of program families present in its reported offerings. That suggests a broad offering, although a row with a listed program may report zero degrees that year. If your child has a specific major in mind, verify that it is actively offered today.
As for the student-to-faculty ratio, the official ratio is 12 students for each full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a low ratio in absolute terms. But compared with schools of the same type, it is above the median: half or more of those schools reported an equal or lower ratio. Both things are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a first-year class. That is not in this data.
The university also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be completed only at night or on weekends, and pathways preparing students for teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification.
Getting in: what the application requires
Fairfield does not have open admissions. Of nine considerations it reviews—excluding standardized tests and legacy status—it marks six as required: high school record, grade point average, completion of the required course plan, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and English proficiency testing when applicable. It also considers, though they are not required, class rank, work experience, and whether a family member attended there. Your child cannot change that last factor. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it; spend it on what is within their control. The application is long and built over time, not in one night. The published application fee is $60.
In the 2023 cycle, Fairfield received 15,463 first-time applications and offered admission to 6,956. That is 45 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, that rate places it on the lower side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, admitted a greater percentage of their applicants. That is real selectivity, measured across the school as a whole, not in your child's specific major—that number, if it matters to you, must be requested directly from admissions.
Here is a figure that often surprises people: out of every 100 admitted students, only 21 ultimately enrolled. The other 79 were offered admission and did not take it. Do not read that as a stain on the school—the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What does matter is this: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price—what it will truly cost you—before taking this school off or putting it on the list.
The SAT and ACT are not required here. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—21 out of every 100—the middle half scored between 620 and 690 in reading and writing, and between 620 and 690 in math. Those numbers describe people who already enrolled and submitted a score, not all applicants; they are neither a minimum that must be reached nor a guarantee if it is reached.
Regarding transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor's degree, 13 out of every 100 are listed as having transferred to another school without completing there. That is a low proportion compared with similar schools. Separately, very few students—24 in the most recent fall—arrived at Fairfield as transfers from another institution. If your child is considering transferring to or from here, this data does not say which courses would be recognized: request that in writing, with the credit list in hand, before moving.
The sticker price, and what families actually pay
At Fairfield University, among 49 first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $32,161. Among 34 students from the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $35,003; among 582 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $49,644. For dependent students, the range adds their parents' income and their own.
There is a difference of $17,483 between the average for the lower-income range (49 students) and that for the higher-income range (582 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received some scholarship, the average was $47,630.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you should request the aid letter before deciding.
Because the price changes so much from one income range to another, placing your family correctly is the first step. The income ranges in this profile describe first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with a scholarship, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that matters is the aid letter you receive.
The aid it distributes, and the debt it leaves
At Fairfield, 92 out of every 100 students receive some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is normal here. Among those who receive it, the average was $25,085 per year—but within that average are people who received much more and people who received much less.
One figure worth separating: the Pell Grant, which is federal aid for low-income families, reached only 7 out of every 100 students. That means that most of the aid distributed here is not Pell, but comes from other sources—from the university itself, the state, or other scholarships. Receiving aid is not the same as receiving Pell, and this figure cannot tell you exactly what your child would receive. Ask directly who awards each scholarship, who qualifies, and what is needed to renew it each year.
And here is a truth that must be stated plainly: 48 out of every 100 Fairfield undergraduate students received a federal loan in the 2022-23 school year. Nearly half. Of those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,498 that year. If your child borrows something similar each year during the four years of a bachelor's degree, the total would be around $25,992, not counting interest. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end of the road.
This average covers only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include what parents borrow separately, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—to calculate that, all four years would have to be added, and that number is not in this report. What you can do now is wait for the aid letter before committing to the school.
The university also offers a tuition payment plan in installments and participates in a Promise program, two mechanisms worth asking about to learn exactly how they work in your case.
Campus life and what is nearby
Fairfield has its own housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there, although that does not mean that no program requires it—ask about the specific rule. It offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The maximum reported housing capacity is 3,959 students. Having rooms does not guarantee an available bed: request in writing the year's rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
For anyone interested in ROTC, the university reported opportunities in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy does not appear. Being marked in the report does not mean the program is completed on this specific campus or that space is guaranteed—ask directly by name.
Fairfield competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. Membership belongs to the school, not your child: if they are interested, write directly to the coach of that sport and ask whether there is space, in which division they compete, and whether athletic aid is available.
It also offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the most recent count fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load that way. If your child is looking for a fully online degree, confirm it in writing for their specific program.
The library operates with paid staff and exceeded the annual spending threshold of $100,000 recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary loan. That confirms there is a functioning, resourced library, but it does not say whether it has the specific databases for your child's major—ask by name.
Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, job placement upon program completion, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military families, and a services page for students with disabilities.
And do those who enter stay and finish?
Here are the figures that matter most to a family considering investing four years and substantial money.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022, 90 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. It is a high figure; compared with 930 similar schools, it is in the upper portion. But it must be stated precisely: that number combines two different groups—those still studying and those who had already finished—and does not separate which is which or say what happened to the rest.
Of the cohort that started in 2017, six years later 84 out of every 100 had their degree in hand. At four years, the figure was already 81 out of every 100—only three points below the full time period. Compared with 920 similar schools, Fairfield is among those graduating the most students: nine out of ten of those schools, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion.
Of those same 993 students in the 2017 cohort: 832 graduated here, 132 transferred without completing at Fairfield, 1 were still enrolled without finishing, and 28 fell into the federal category of "no longer enrolled"—a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who did finish after the official time period.
A high percentage like this is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is in your family's hands is making sure they enter with their credits in order and know from the first semester who their adviser is and when courses for their major are scheduled.
There is a third measure, even longer: following the cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016—which mixes first-time students with students who already had previous college experience—eight years later 83 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Fairfield. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 80 out of every 100, only three points below the rest. Compared with 935 similar schools, Fairfield falls in the top quarter. Again: this describes a cohort that entered years ago; it does not predict your child's outcome. It is more useful to ask about current supports and results from more recent cohorts.
What this article cannot tell you
There is no data here on what someone earns after graduating from Fairfield, on employment, or on how much total debt a student carries when receiving their degree. That information requires another source and is not included in this analysis.
Putting the pieces together
You now know Fairfield University as deeply as official data allows: what kind of school it is, who makes it up, how selective it is, its sticker price and what different families end up paying, how that difference is financed through scholarships and debt, and how far those who start there go.
That is one piece of the map, not the whole map. You still need to combine it with what your child wants to study and what they have built so far, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. From that combination, not from a single figure, comes a real plan.
If Fairfield remains on the list after this, let it be because you decided with your eyes open, not because the name sounded good. And if it comes off the list, let that be for the same reason.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding mainly to the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Best College Aid does not represent Fairfield University or the U.S. government, and this article does not constitute personalized admissions advice.