Merrimack vs. Bard College

Should I go to Merrimack College or Bard College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack or Bard 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Merrimack College vs. Bard College comparison
Merrimack College Bard College College 3 College 4
Merrimack College Bard College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Merrimack Bard College
Location North Andover, MA Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Setting Large Suburban Town Fringe
Enrollment 5,505 2,706
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu bard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack Bard College
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $59,800
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $59,800
Room & Board $18,295 $17,180
Avg Net Price $37,296 $25,214
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $53,584
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 81%

Admission

Merrimack Bard College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 6,482
Admitted 9,833 2,987
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 46.1%
Enrolled % 12% 15%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Sep 1, 2024 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Merrimack Bard College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (23%)
  • English and Literature (14%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Merrimack Bard College
Graduation Rate 70% 76%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,194
Median Loan Payment $279 $270

Diversity

Merrimack Bard College
% Men 43% 42%
% Women 57% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 63%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 5% 1%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 0%
% International 5% 10%
% Unknown Race 11% 11%

Students

Merrimack Bard College
% In-State 66% 31%
% Out-of-State 31% 59%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Merrimack College is larger than than Bard College based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 2,706 students)

Merrimack vs. Bard College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or Bard College?

  • Bard College is 30.5% more expensive to attend than Merrimack for in-state tuition ($59,800.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.5% higher at Bard College than Merrimack College ($59,800.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bard College than Merrimack ($25,214 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bard College are 6.5% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($17,180 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than Bard College (97% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bard College students is 93.2% larger than aid received Merrimack College ($53,584 vs. $27,729)

Merrimack vs. Bard College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Merrimack has a higher acceptance rate (74.6%) than Bard College (46.1%)

Merrimack vs. Bard College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merrimack or Bard 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 Bard College and Merrimack.

  • The graduation rate at Bard College is higher than Merrimack College (76% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $16,400 more per year than Bard College graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $41,600)
  • Bard College students graduate with a $806 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($26,194 vs. $27,000)
  • Bard College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($270 vs. $279)
  • More Bard College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Merrimack students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 78%)

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