MCLA vs. Medaille College

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Medaille College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or Medaille College 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 College of Liberal Arts vs. Medaille College comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Medaille College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 MCLA Medaille College
Location North Adams, MA Buffalo, NY
Setting Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 938 1,727
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #879
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu medaille.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MCLA Medaille College
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $33,000
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $33,000
Room & Board $13,632 $14,000
Avg Net Price $15,377 $14,992
Avg Grant Aid $9,044 $25,196
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 94%

Admission

 MCLA Medaille College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,456 1,689
Admitted 1,346 1,162
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 68.8%
Enrolled % 13.2% 31.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.14
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/21 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180 930/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 MCLA Medaille College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (41%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 MCLA Medaille College
Graduation Rate 53% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $42,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $254 $258

Diversity

 MCLA Medaille College
% Men 42% 28%
% Women 58% 72%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 58%
% Black 9% 23%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 7%

Students

 MCLA Medaille College
% In-State 55% 75%
% Out-of-State 45% 21%

Campus

 MCLA Medaille College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Medaille College is larger than than MCLA based on total student enrollment (1,727 students vs. 938 students)

MCLA vs. Medaille College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or Medaille College?

  • Medaille College is 3,103.9% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($33,000.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 230.8% higher at Medaille College than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($33,000.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Medaille College than MCLA ($14,992 vs. $15,377)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are 2.7% lower than costs at Medaille College ($13,632 vs. $14,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Medaille College (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Medaille College students is 178.6% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($25,196 vs. $9,044)

MCLA vs. Medaille College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1016) is 148 points higher than at Medaille College (868)
  • Incoming MCLA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Medaille College (19)
  • Accepted freshman MCLA students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.2) than students at Medaille College (3.14)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Medaille College (68.8%)

MCLA vs. Medaille College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or Medaille College? 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 Medaille College and MCLA.

  • The graduation rate at MCLA is higher than Medaille College (53% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Medaille College earn on average $5,600 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($42,700 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $341 lower median federal student loan debt than Medaille College graduates. ($24,659 vs. $25,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Medaille College graduates. ($254 vs. $258)
  • More MCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Medaille College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 52%)

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