Maine College of Art & Design vs. NEC

Deciding between Maine College of Art & Design and New England College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Maine College of Art & Design
New England College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Maine College of Art & Design Portland, ME
  • NEC Henniker, NH
  • Setting
  • Maine College of Art & Design Small City
  • NEC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • Maine College of Art & Design 475
  • NEC 3,275
  • Type
  • Maine College of Art & Design Private 4 Year
  • NEC Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Maine College of Art & Design -
  • NEC -
  • Status
  • Maine College of Art & Design Non-profit
  • NEC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Maine College of Art & Design $42,942
  • NEC $41,938
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Maine College of Art & Design $42,942
  • NEC $41,938
  • Room & Board
  • Maine College of Art & Design $17,184
  • NEC $17,526
  • Average Net Price
  • Maine College of Art & Design $39,639
  • NEC $27,398
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Maine College of Art & Design $20,277
  • NEC $32,095
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Maine College of Art & Design 100%
  • NEC 99%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Maine College of Art & Design 994
  • NEC 3,251
  • Admitted
  • Maine College of Art & Design 756
  • NEC 2,995
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Maine College of Art & Design 76.1%
  • NEC 92.1%
  • Enrolled
  • Maine College of Art & Design 16.1%
  • NEC 8.8%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Typical ACT score
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Average High School GPA
  • Maine College of Art & Design -
  • NEC 2.81
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Maine College of Art & Design -
  • NEC B-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Maine College of Art & Design Unavailable
  • NEC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • ACT Range
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • SAT Range
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Maine College of Art & Design Test-free
  • NEC Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • Maine College of Art & Design
  • NEC
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Maine College of Art & Design 8:1
  • NEC 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Maine College of Art & Design
    • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • NEC
    • Business (19%)
    • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (16%)
    • Education (11%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
    • Psychology (7%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Maine College of Art & Design 42%
  • NEC 38%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Maine College of Art & Design $31,600
  • NEC $39,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Maine College of Art & Design 70%
  • NEC 54%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Maine College of Art & Design $27,000
  • NEC $27,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Maine College of Art & Design $279
  • NEC $279
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Maine College of Art & Design 22%
  • NEC 52%
  • % Women
  • Maine College of Art & Design 78%
  • NEC 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Maine College of Art & Design Very Low
  • NEC High
  • HBCU
  • Maine College of Art & Design No
  • NEC No
  • % White
  • Maine College of Art & Design 84%
  • NEC 53%
  • % Asian
  • Maine College of Art & Design 2%
  • NEC 1%
  • % Black
  • Maine College of Art & Design 1%
  • NEC 25%
  • % Hispanic
  • Maine College of Art & Design 5%
  • NEC 9%
  • % Native American
  • Maine College of Art & Design 1%
  • NEC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Maine College of Art & Design 0%
  • NEC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Maine College of Art & Design 4%
  • NEC 1%
  • % International
  • Maine College of Art & Design 2%
  • NEC 3%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Maine College of Art & Design 3%
  • NEC 7%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Maine College of Art & Design 18%
  • NEC 56%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Maine College of Art & Design 82%
  • NEC 39%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Maine College of Art & Design Yes
  • NEC Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Maine College of Art & Design No
  • NEC No
  • Meal Plan
  • Maine College of Art & Design Yes
  • NEC Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Maine College of Art & Design No
  • NEC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Maine College of Art & Design No
  • NEC No

Comparable Facts

Compare Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, ME with New England College in Henniker, NH on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

New England College is larger than Maine College of Art & Design based on total student enrollment (3,275 students vs. 475 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Maine College of Art & Design is located in Portland, ME (Small City setting); New England College is in Henniker, NH (Distant Rural setting).
  • Maine College of Art & Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. New England College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Maine College of Art & Design 8:1; New England College 8:1.

Maine College of Art & Design vs. NEC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Maine College of Art & Design or NEC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at New England College than Maine College of Art & Design ($27,398 vs. $39,639).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Maine College of Art & Design are 2% lower than at New England College ($17,184 vs. $17,526).
  • Maine College of Art & Design is 2.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than NEC (about $1,004 more per year; $42,942.00 vs. $41,938.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.4% higher at Maine College of Art & Design than at New England College (about $1,004 more per year; $42,942.00 vs. $41,938.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Maine College of Art & Design than at New England College (100% vs. 99%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by New England College students is 58.3% larger than aid received by Maine College of Art & Design students ($32,095 vs. $20,277).

Maine College of Art & Design vs. NEC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Maine College of Art & Design or NEC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between NEC and Maine College of Art & Design.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Maine College of Art & Design - Test-free; NEC - Test-free.
  • NEC has a higher acceptance rate (92.1%) than Maine College of Art & Design (76.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 16.1% at Maine College of Art & Design vs. 8.8% at NEC.

Maine College of Art & Design vs. NEC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Maine College of Art & Design and NEC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Maine College of Art & Design's six-year graduation rate (42%) is higher than New England College's (38%).
  • Graduates from New England College earn a median of about $7,800 more per year than Maine College of Art & Design graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,400 vs. $31,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, New England College and Maine College of Art & Design graduates have the same median loan debt ($27,000 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, New England College and Maine College of Art & Design graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($279 vs. $279).
  • More Maine College of Art & Design graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NEC students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 54%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.