Fairfield Univ vs. Providence College? How are they different?

College Search & Lists
,
1

Thanks in advance if you have some familiarity with these two schools. Our son got accepted to both for Fall 2026. We’re aware of the many ways these two schools and their students are similar. But what are some ways in which they’re clearly different (other than one is Jesuit/progressive and one Dominican/traditional), to help us with this choice?

More context: He plans to study business, has gone to Catholic schools for 12 years because of the community service focus, and doesn’t care about frats (or lack thereof) or certain sports (because he won’t be playing any of them). He will be moving thousands of miles from home to attend either school, something he specifically sought out, and is equally happy to live and work in Boston or NYC after graduation.

Is one of these two campuses known to be more “cliquey” then the other, given that many of these kids understandably arrive on campus knowing others from, say, their suburban hometown in New England and NY? He’ll arrive knowing no one on campus or in the area, so the more friendly and genuinely welcoming campus helps tip the scales. Someone at one of these schools said, “I have never had this much difficulty making friends in my life, as I like to meet new people, am outgoing, and kind to everyone.”

What would you want a family know about the location of the two schools? A student at Providence said the nearby area “everyone knows is a bit sketchy” (to be fair, people say the same of the Univ of Southern Calif that has a 90% rejection rate) A student at Fairfield said the “seniors living at the beach” dynamic is over hyped because limited access and the parties are exclusive, etc.

Is one of these two schools considered to be more rigorous or prestigious than the other? Admit rates for Fairfield for some reason seem to have changed a lot in the past few years (Why is that that? Maybe recruiting more nationally instead of just regionally?) Given that the cost for either school is comparable to, say, Villanova but without the cachet thereof, which school is more apt to be described by parents or kids post-graduation as “worth every penny”?

If you’re not excited about getting drunk Thurs-Sat nights, which campus setting is more apt to have a lot of great things for you to do on those weekend nights instead of sitting alone in your dorm room?

Which of the school’s current student body considered to be marginally more conservative or liberal than the other school? If so, how so? What are some examples of how that is evident in the day to day?

Appreciate any first-hand perspective you can offer on this.

2

You might read Niche comments. They have 88 surveys for Fairfield and the top 3 comments are -

  1. White, smart, rich, good looking, friendly
  2. White, clean cut, well off,smart, athletic, fun
  3. White, wealthy, cliquey

Per the CDS, it’s 78% white p is 79%.

In niche, they say about P in 76 responses

  1. Preppy rich kids but friendly
  2. Kind, genuine
  3. Preppy, rich private school kids

If you get no feedback here, have the school set your student up with a student admissions ambassador that he can talk to.

Finally, your student will find employment where they apply. That’s how it works in the era of the internet. My SEC kid is out West. My Charleston kid took a job in Denver.

Here is some career info for each but you can ask for updated reports or in the case of Fairfield a complete report.

I hope someone can give you the direct info you are looking for but I recommend your student talk to a student ambassador or they can set you up with someone in the major of interest so they can learn first hand.

Good luck.

1 Like
3

I can speak a bit about Fairfield. The town of Fairfield is great—I lived there for ten years and loved living there. The beach, Fairfield Center, and being close to NYC by train were all aspects I loved. Fairfield’s campus is gorgeous and they’ve made a lot of renovations in recent years. It is definitely a school that’s ascending and becoming more selective. Every once in a while, the men’s and women’s basketball teams are good and the lacrosse teams are usually good, but I wouldn’t describe it as a big sports school (there’s no football team). I can’t speak much about social life at Fairfield since everyone I know who went there graduated a long time ago. It would be accessible by train to the NYC airports (the train is close to campus) or a drive from Westchester airport which is a nice small airport.

We toured Providence two years ago and I was impressed by the school spirit. It was a basketball game day and we could see everyone getting on the busses to go to the game. Everyone I know of who has gone there, like Fairfield, has seemed to have enjoyed their time there—I think both schools have a loyal alumni base.

2 Likes
4

Can you visit the two schools?

5

Visiting would be great if possible.

A gross generalization- a kid can have fun with less money at Providence than at Fairfield. And not just because the kids seem to come from less affluent homes– although that’s my impression. But also because Providence is a real city with a wide range of residents at all income levels, and Fairfield is a VERY upscale suburb. Other than the section of Fairfield which borders Bridgeport (a diverse city with a large low-income population) the stores and restaurants in Fairfield are targeted to affluent suburbanites and wealthy students. And telling students “you can just take the train to NY for your social life” which is easy to do from Fairfield and harder to do from Providence just suggests that the affluent live lives different than other people. Yes, there are free and cheap things to do in NYC but once you’ve spent $25-$35 on the train from Fairfield, round trip, you’ve wacked into your “fun money” pretty quickly.

I think talking with a couple of students will help if you can’t visit?

1 Like
6

People I know who have gone to Fairfield have been raised Catholic, but could not give one hoot that it was a Jesuit/Catholic school and only care about its business school and proximity to NYC FWIW. They basically are like, “I will it suck it up.” and take the 1-2 “religion” courses. If your kid is looking for more of a religious vibe, I think Providence may be more their place. This is obviously an anecdote, but I do know several recent grads, and my kid seriously considered applying recently. We visited (aren’t Catholic) and my kid from a not hugely diverse wealthy suburb thought Fairfield students all looked the same and was turned off by it :person_shrugging: . Mainly as they were all DRESSED the same…They were like all the girls look identical which is not the case at their own HS. YMMV

I also have a close relative who is a Fairfield grad (from a while ago) who had a great experience, so I’m not trying to make it sound awful it at all, especially the education - seemed amazing. It is a specific vibe IMO though.

1 Like