Fairfield University

Gaining admission to Fairfield University has grown considerably more difficult in recent years. In 2025, the university admitted 33.3% of applicants, an admit rate lower than all peer schools in a comparison group of 30 private national universities. The school also retains a strong pull among those accepted: its yield rate reached 23.7%, which was higher than 90% of peer schools. In national standings, Fairfield ranked 109th in the 2027 U.S. News Best National Universities ranking, recovering from 139th the prior year. For prospective students, this combination of selective admissions and a high yield relative to peers means applicants face stiff competition for limited spots.

Fairfield University operates under an admissions policy where test scores are optional, considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, Fairfield reported a median SAT score of 1320, which is higher than 50% of peer schools in its comparison group of similarly ranked private universities. Among admitted students who sent ACT results for 2025, the middle score range spanned from 29 to 32. However, standardized testing is far from universal among incoming students, as a small percentage submitted SAT or ACT scores in 2025. Academic performance in high school carries substantial weight in admissions evaluations. In the 2023-2024 academic cycle, nearly a third of enrolled students achieved a perfect grade-point average, and the broad majority earned strong marks across secondary school. For applicants, these patterns mean that maintaining rigorous coursework and competitive classroom grades is central to a compelling portfolio, while solid test scores can provide helpful supporting evidence.

Undergraduate degrees at Fairfield University center heavily on nursing and business disciplines. In 2025, the top three bachelor's degree majors accounted for 46.1% of all undergraduate completions, led by Finance, General and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. These popular subjects align closely with Fairfield's top-ranked departments. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, undergraduate Finance placed 15th, and at the graduate level, the nurse-midwifery program ranked 7th for 2026. These key majors also yield substantial early compensation. Based on 2023 earnings data, nursing graduates earned median earnings of $91,135 one year after graduation, reflecting the institution's primary program strengths.

Fairfield University's student body is predominantly White and majority female across both undergraduate and graduate levels. Domestic diversity and global representation remain limited on campus. In the 2025 entering undergraduate class, Asian students numbered 19, accounting for 1.3% of first-year students, while international students numbered 18, or 1.2% of the cohort. Returning undergraduates reflect a similar pattern, with White students comprising the vast majority of enrollments and Hispanic students forming the second-largest racial group. Graduate cohorts show somewhat higher proportions of international and Asian students, though both groups still represent modest fractions of advanced-degree seekers. For prospective applicants, this demographic profile means the campus environment is primarily composed of domestic students from traditional undergraduate age brackets, with small communities of Asian and international peers.

Undergraduate enrollment at Fairfield University is concentrated almost entirely among traditional college-age students. In 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 50.5% of the 5,391 undergraduates, followed by those aged 20 to 21 at 42.1%. By contrast, the graduate division of 1,473 students serves a wider demographic spread, with 30.8% aged 22 to 24 and substantial representation extending through older age brackets. This structure means daytime campus life revolves predominantly around young adults pursuing their first degree, while graduate programs serve a broader mix of early-career and mature students.

International enrollment at Fairfield University represents a small and contracting portion of the campus community. At the undergraduate level, international students accounted for 1.9% of the student body in 2025, placing the university higher than 7% of peer schools among similarly ranked private national universities. This share has edged downward over the past decade. The downward shift is even more pronounced at the advanced level, where the graduate international proportion dropped to 4.7% in 2025 after reaching much higher levels in 2016. Among degree recipients, international representation varies considerably by discipline. Undergraduate international graduates remain scarce across the university's largest majors, showing minimal presence in programs such as Finance and Registered Nursing. Instead, international representation is concentrated almost entirely at the master's level in quantitative business fields, led by Business Analytics at 19.6% international graduates, alongside Business Statistics. For international applicants, Fairfield offers an academic environment where domestic students predominate, with international community presence largely clustered in specific professional graduate business tracks.

Prospective applicants considering Fairfield University have several other higher education options in the surrounding area. Located just 4.4 kilometers away in Connecticut, Sacred Heart University ranks 202nd among National Universities in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Across the Long Island Sound, Stony Brook University sits 18.2 kilometers away, ranked 59th nationally. In New Haven, about 20.1 kilometers to the east, Yale University is ranked 4th in the country. Additionally, Quinnipiac University, located 26 kilometers away, holds the 156th position. These nearby institutions offer a range of public and private university options within a short travel distance of Fairfield.

Campus safety indicators at Fairfield University show low levels of serious criminal offenses, with records dominated by alcohol policy violations. The crime rate per 1,000 students was 5.4 in 2025, dropping from 22.9 in 2016. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the vast majority of reported incidents consisted of disciplinary actions rather than violent offenses, led by 472 disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations. During that same timeframe, reports of violent crime and property incidents occurred in single digits, indicating that safety concerns are largely tied to student conduct enforcement rather than campus crime.