MassBay Community College vs. NECC

Should I go to Massachusetts Bay Community College or Northern Essex Community College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MassBay Community College or NECC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Massachusetts Bay Community College vs. Northern Essex Community College comparison
Massachusetts Bay Community College Northern Essex Community College College 3 College 4
Massachusetts Bay Community College
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Overview

 MassBay Community College NECC
Location Wellesley Hills, MA Haverhill, MA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,497 4,339
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website massbay.edu mass.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MassBay Community College NECC
Tuition (In State) $576 $600
Tuition (Out of State) $5,520 $6,384
Room & Board $10,800 $12,360
Avg Net Price $6,872 $7,390
Avg Grant Aid $6,301 $5,045
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 83%

Admission

 MassBay Community College NECC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 MassBay Community College NECC
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (45%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (3%)
  • Health Professions (32%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 MassBay Community College NECC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,100 $35,200
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,697 $8,938
Median Loan Payment $69 $92

Diversity

 MassBay Community College NECC
% Men 43% 37%
% Women 57% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 51% 50%
% Black 17% 4%
% Hispanic 16% 41%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 1%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

 MassBay Community College NECC
% In-State 97% 92%
% Out-of-State 2% 8%

Campus

 MassBay Community College NECC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Essex Community College is larger than than MassBay Community College based on total student enrollment (4,339 students vs. 3,497 students)

MassBay Community College vs. NECC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MassBay Community College or NECC?

  • Northern Essex Community College is 4.2% more expensive to attend than MassBay Community College for in-state tuition ($600.00 vs. $576.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.7% higher at NECC than Massachusetts Bay Community College ($6,384.00 vs. $5,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Bay Community College than NECC ($6,872 vs. $7,390)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts Bay Community College are 14.4% lower than costs at Northern Essex Community College ($10,800 vs. $12,360)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Northern Essex Community College than Massachusetts Bay Community College (83% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts Bay Community College students is 24.9% larger than aid received Northern Essex Community College ($6,301 vs. $5,045)

Which college is harder to get into, MassBay Community College or NECC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between NECC or MassBay Community College .

MassBay Community College vs. NECC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MassBay Community College or NECC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between NECC and MassBay Community College.

  • Graduates from Massachusetts Bay Community College earn on average $8,900 more per year than NECC graduates after ten years. ($44,100 vs. $35,200)
  • Massachusetts Bay Community College students graduate with a $2,241 lower median federal student loan debt than NECC graduates. ($6,697 vs. $8,938)
  • MassBay Community College graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than NECC graduates. ($69 vs. $92)
  • More MassBay Community College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NECC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 47%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/