Merrimack vs. PAFA

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

Merrimack PAFA
Location North Andover, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 5,505 172
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack PAFA
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $40,500
Room & Board $18,295 $17,512
Avg Net Price $37,296 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 80%

Admission

Merrimack PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 183
Admitted 9,833 167
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 91.3%
Enrolled % 12% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Merrimack PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

Merrimack PAFA
Graduation Rate 70% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $274

Diversity

Merrimack PAFA
% Men 43% 31%
% Women 57% 69%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 61%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 6%
% International 5% 6%
% Unknown Race 11% 7%

Students

Merrimack PAFA
% In-State 66% 53%
% Out-of-State 31% 42%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Merrimack College is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 172 students)

Merrimack vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or PAFA?

  • Merrimack College is 13.1% more expensive to attend than PAFA for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.1% higher at Merrimack than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($45,815.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Merrimack College than PAFA ($37,296 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts are 4.5% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($17,512 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (97% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 72.4% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($27,729 vs. $16,087)

Merrimack vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Merrimack vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Merrimack College (73% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $36,000 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($26,500 vs. $27,000)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($274 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PAFA 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/