Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 59/100

Merrimack College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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North Andover, Massachusetts

About Merrimack College

Thinking about Merrimack College, a college in Massachusetts where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Merrimack College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in North Andover, Massachusetts. It enrolls 3,916 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
70%
Graduation
72.2%
Net Price
$37,927
Median Earnings (10yr)
$75,584
Enrollment
3,916
Student : Faculty
14:1

Accreditor New England Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 72
Value 20
Affordability 8
Selectivity 62

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Merrimack College admits 70% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
70%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Merrimack College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 8.3 pts since 2019
81.9%201981.6%202080.3%202174.6%202273.6%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $37,927 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$37,927
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
16%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
60%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$53,962
Room & Board (on-campus)
$21,525
Room & Board (off-campus)
$21,525
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,200
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$70,038

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $31,710
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $29,417
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $31,962
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $36,045
  • Over $110,000
    $41,050

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$5,500
10% percentile
$8,802
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$29,000
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $25,000 ↓ $2,000
No Pell $23,250 ↓ $3,750
Dependent students $23,750 ↓ $3,250
Independent students $23,000 ↓ $4,000
Female students $24,250 ↓ $2,750
Male students $23,250 ↓ $3,750
Pell recipients: 17.5% (4,737 students)No Pell: 16.3% (4,405 students)Dependent students: 16.7% (4,500 students)Independent students: 16.1% (4,358 students)Female students: 17.0% (4,595 students)Male students: 16.3% (4,405 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,090, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

72% of students who start here finish within six years, and 82% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
72%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
82%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $75,584 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$75,584
Earning > $25K
94%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$50,000$60,000$65,000$70,000$80,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$55,900

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$69,200

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$62,900

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$56,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$63,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,300, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.1 pts across 6 years
81.5%1yr85.1%3yr93.8%5yr93.6%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,916 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
3,916
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
21%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 74.5% 2,918
Hispanic 11.9% 464
Black 4.0% 158
Other 3.0% 116
International 2.0% 78
Asian 1.9% 76
White: 74.5% (2,918 students)Hispanic: 11.9% (464 students)Black: 4.0% (158 students)Other: 3.0% (116 students)International: 2.0% (78 students)Asian: 1.9% (76 students)Total3,916

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Merrimack College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb North Andover, Massachusetts
Housing
Strongly residential 2,826 beds for 3,916 students
Adult Learners
2% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Merrimack College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 94 distinct programs across 26 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

18 Programs
10 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
6 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$188M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$101,232
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

196 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 32 16% $126,625
Associate Professors 79 40% $105,629
Assistant Professors 74 38% $88,684
Instructors 1 1% $97,961
Lecturers 10 5% $78,413

Pros & Cons of Merrimack College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Merrimack College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • High net price compared to most US colleges
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, Merrimack College is a fit for students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrimack College

The questions families ask most about Merrimack College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Merrimack College hard to get into?
Admissions at Merrimack College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 70%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Merrimack College?
70% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Merrimack College cost?
Budget around $37,927 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Merrimack College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $75,584 a year against a net price of $37,927, about 2.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Merrimack College known for?
Mostly Human Development, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Merrimack College graduates earn?
About $75,584 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Merrimack College accredited?
Yes. Merrimack College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Merrimack College?
3,916 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Merrimack College?
72% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Merrimack College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Merrimack College located?
Merrimack College is located in North Andover, Massachusetts.
What programs does Merrimack College offer?
94 different programs, most commonly Human Development, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Merrimack College?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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