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.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
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
Outcomes72
Value20
Affordability8
Selectivity62
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 PolicyTest OptionalApplicants 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
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.
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.
$5,50010%percentile
$8,80225%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$29,00090%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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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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