Merrimack vs. WPI

Should I go to Merrimack College or Worcester Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack or WPI 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. Worcester Polytechnic Institute comparison
Merrimack College Worcester Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
Merrimack College Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

Merrimack WPI
Location North Andover, MA Worcester, MA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 5,505 7,308
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu wpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack WPI
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $56,000
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $56,000
Room & Board $18,295 $16,544
Avg Net Price $37,296 $46,876
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $27,059
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 96%

Admission

Merrimack WPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 11,599
Admitted 9,833 6,667
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 57.5%
Enrolled % 12% 20.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Merrimack WPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Engineering (61%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (4%)

Outcomes

Merrimack WPI
Graduation Rate 70% 76%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $82,700
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Merrimack WPI
% Men 43% 64%
% Women 57% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 63%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 5% 12%
% Unknown Race 11% 6%

Students

Merrimack WPI
% In-State 66% 45%
% Out-of-State 31% 47%

Campus

Merrimack WPI
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

  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Merrimack based on total student enrollment (7,308 students vs. 5,505 students)

Merrimack vs. WPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or WPI?

  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute is 22.2% more expensive to attend than Merrimack for in-state tuition ($56,000.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.2% higher at WPI than Merrimack College ($56,000.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Merrimack College than WPI ($37,296 vs. $46,876)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are 10.6% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($16,544 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than Worcester Polytechnic Institute (97% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 2.5% larger than aid received Worcester Polytechnic Institute ($27,729 vs. $27,059)

Merrimack vs. WPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman WPI students have a 0.6 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Merrimack (3.3)
  • Merrimack has a higher acceptance rate (74.6%) than WPI (57.5%)

Merrimack vs. WPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at WPI is higher than Merrimack College (76% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Worcester Polytechnic Institute earn on average $24,700 more per year than Merrimack graduates after ten years. ($82,700 vs. $58,000)
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Merrimack graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Merrimack graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More WPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Merrimack students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 78%)

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