Merrimack vs. MCLA

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

Merrimack MCLA
Location North Andover, MA North Adams, MA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 5,505 938
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu mcla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack MCLA
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $1,030
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $9,975
Room & Board $18,295 $13,632
Avg Net Price $37,296 $15,377
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $9,044
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

Merrimack MCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 1,456
Admitted 9,833 1,346
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 92.4%
Enrolled % 12% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.2
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180
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

Academics

Merrimack MCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

Merrimack MCLA
Graduation Rate 70% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $24,659
Median Loan Payment $279 $254

Diversity

Merrimack MCLA
% Men 43% 42%
% Women 57% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 74%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 11% 4%

Students

Merrimack MCLA
% In-State 66% 55%
% Out-of-State 31% 45%

Campus

Merrimack MCLA
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 MCLA based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 938 students)

Merrimack vs. MCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or MCLA?

  • Merrimack College is 4,348.1% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 359.3% higher at Merrimack than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($45,815.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Merrimack ($15,377 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are 34.2% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($13,632 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Merrimack College (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 206.6% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($27,729 vs. $9,044)

Merrimack vs. MCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Merrimack students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at MCLA (3.2)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Merrimack vs. MCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (70% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $20,900 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $2,341 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($24,659 vs. $27,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($254 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 63%)

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