Merrimack vs. The New England Conservatory of Music

Deciding between Merrimack College and The New England Conservatory of Music? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Merrimack College
The New England Conservatory of Music

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Merrimack North Andover, MA
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA
  • Setting
  • Merrimack Large Suburban
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Merrimack 5,862
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 853
  • Type
  • Merrimack Private 4 Year
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Merrimack Roman Catholic
  • The New England Conservatory of Music -
  • Status
  • Merrimack Non-profit
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Merrimack $53,962
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $60,750
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Merrimack $53,962
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $60,750
  • Room & Board
  • Merrimack $21,525
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $20,010
  • Average Net Price
  • Merrimack $38,504
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $50,367
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Merrimack $31,550
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $30,707
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Merrimack 100%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 98%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Merrimack 14,070
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 1,112
  • Admitted
  • Merrimack 9,852
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 457
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Merrimack 70%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 41.1%
  • Enrolled
  • Merrimack 9.9%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 29.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
  • Typical ACT score
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
  • Average High School GPA
  • Merrimack 3.3
  • The New England Conservatory of Music -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Merrimack B+
  • The New England Conservatory of Music -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Merrimack Unavailable
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Merrimack Low
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Low
  • ACT Range
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
  • SAT Range
  • Merrimack
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Merrimack Test-free
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • Merrimack Sep 1, 2026
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Dec 1, 2026

  • Academics

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

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Merrimack 70%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 77%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Merrimack $58,000
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $36,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Merrimack 78%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 77%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Merrimack $27,000
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $29,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Merrimack $279
  • The New England Conservatory of Music $299

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Merrimack 43%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 55%
  • % Women
  • Merrimack 57%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 45%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Merrimack Low
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Very High
  • HBCU
  • Merrimack No
  • The New England Conservatory of Music No
  • % White
  • Merrimack 73%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 39%
  • % Asian
  • Merrimack 1%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 10%
  • % Black
  • Merrimack 3%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • Merrimack 5%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 3%
  • % Native American
  • Merrimack 0%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Merrimack 0%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Merrimack 1%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 6%
  • % International
  • Merrimack 5%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 36%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Merrimack 11%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 4%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Merrimack 68%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 13%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Merrimack 30%
  • The New England Conservatory of Music 47%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Merrimack Yes
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Merrimack No
  • The New England Conservatory of Music No
  • Meal Plan
  • Merrimack Yes
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Merrimack No
  • The New England Conservatory of Music No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Merrimack No
  • The New England Conservatory of Music No
  • Learn More
  • Merrimack Details
  • The New England Conservatory of Music Details

Comparable Facts

Compare Merrimack College in North Andover, MA with The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Merrimack College is larger than The New England Conservatory of Music based on total student enrollment (5,862 students vs. 853 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Merrimack College is located in North Andover, MA (Large Suburban setting); The New England Conservatory of Music is in Boston, MA (Large City setting).
  • Merrimack College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. The New England Conservatory of Music is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Merrimack College 13:1; The New England Conservatory of Music 5:1.

Merrimack vs. The New England Conservatory of Music Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or The New England Conservatory of Music? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Merrimack College than The New England Conservatory of Music ($38,504 vs. $50,367).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The New England Conservatory of Music are 7% lower than at Merrimack College ($20,010 vs. $21,525).
  • The New England Conservatory of Music is 12.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Merrimack (about $6,788 more per year; $60,750.00 vs. $53,962.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 12.6% higher at The New England Conservatory of Music than at Merrimack College (about $6,788 more per year; $60,750.00 vs. $53,962.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Merrimack College than at The New England Conservatory of Music (100% vs. 98%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 2.7% larger than aid received by The New England Conservatory of Music students ($31,550 vs. $30,707).

Merrimack vs. The New England Conservatory of Music Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Merrimack or The New England Conservatory of Music? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between The New England Conservatory of Music and Merrimack.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Merrimack - Test-free; The New England Conservatory of Music - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Merrimack Sep 1, 2026; The New England Conservatory of Music Dec 1, 2026.
  • Merrimack has a higher acceptance rate (70%) than The New England Conservatory of Music (41.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.9% at Merrimack vs. 29.5% at The New England Conservatory of Music.

Merrimack vs. The New England Conservatory of Music Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Merrimack and The New England Conservatory of Music? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • The New England Conservatory of Music's six-year graduation rate (77%) is higher than Merrimack College's (70%).
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn a median of about $21,500 more per year than The New England Conservatory of Music graduates about ten years after starting college ($58,000 vs. $36,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Merrimack College graduates have a $2,000 lower median loan debt than The New England Conservatory of Music graduates ($27,000 vs. $29,000).
  • Among borrowers, Merrimack graduates have an estimated $20 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than The New England Conservatory of Music graduates ($279 vs. $299).
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The New England Conservatory of Music students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 77%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.