Merrimack vs. AU

Should I go to Merrimack College or Anderson University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack or AU 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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Merrimack College vs. Anderson University comparison
Merrimack College Anderson University College 3 College 4
Merrimack College Anderson University
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Overview

Merrimack AU
Location North Andover, MA Anderson, SC
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 5,505 4,121
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu andersonuniversity.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack AU
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $30,860
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $30,860
Room & Board $18,295 $11,230
Avg Net Price $37,296 $21,633
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $24,409
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

Merrimack AU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 5,043
Admitted 9,833 2,289
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 45.4%
Enrolled % 12% 34.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.72
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Sep 1, 2024

Academics

Merrimack AU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Education (37%)
  • Business (36%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (4%)
  • Communication (3%)

Outcomes

Merrimack AU
Graduation Rate 70% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $37,500
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 60%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,862
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Merrimack AU
% Men 43% 35%
% Women 57% 65%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 83%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 5% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 11% 2%

Students

Merrimack AU
% In-State 66% 68%
% Out-of-State 31% 31%

Campus

Merrimack AU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Merrimack College is larger than than AU based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 4,121 students)

Merrimack vs. AU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or AU?

  • Merrimack College is 48.5% more expensive to attend than AU for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $30,860.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 48.5% higher at Merrimack than Anderson University ($45,815.00 vs. $30,860.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Anderson University than Merrimack ($21,633 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Anderson University are 62.9% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($11,230 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Anderson University than Merrimack College (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 13.6% larger than aid received Anderson University ($27,729 vs. $24,409)

Merrimack vs. AU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman AU students have a 0.42 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Merrimack (3.3)
  • Merrimack has a higher acceptance rate (74.6%) than AU (45.4%)

Merrimack vs. AU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merrimack or AU? 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 AU and Merrimack.

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Anderson University (70% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $20,500 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $37,500)
  • Anderson University students graduate with a $138 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($26,862 vs. $27,000)
  • AU graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 60%)

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