Merrimack vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Comparable Facts

Compare Merrimack College in North Andover, MA with Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

Merrimack College is larger than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design based on total student enrollment (5,862 students vs. 414 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Merrimack College is located in North Andover, MA (Large Suburban setting); Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is in Lancaster, PA (Small City setting).
• Merrimack College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Merrimack College 13:1; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design 10:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design are 20% lower than at Merrimack College ($17,230 vs. $21,525).
• Out-of-state tuition is 67.8% higher at Merrimack than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (about $21,812 more per year; $53,962 vs. $32,150).
• The same share of students receive grant aid at Merrimack College as at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (100% vs. 100%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 110.5% larger than aid received by Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students ($31,550 vs. $14,989).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Merrimack and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
• Typical fall application deadline: Merrimack Sep 1, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at Merrimack average a 3.3 high school GPA, 0.17 higher than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (3.13).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.9% at Merrimack vs. 32.5% at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and Merrimack graduates have the same median loan debt ($27,000 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and Merrimack graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($279 vs. $279).
• More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students, three years after graduation (78% vs. 58%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.