NEC vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Comparable Facts

Compare New England College in Henniker, NH with Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

New England College is larger than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design based on total student enrollment (3,275 students vs. 414 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• New England College is located in Henniker, NH (Distant Rural setting); Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is in Lancaster, PA (Small City setting).
• New England 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: New England College 8:1; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design 10:1.

NEC vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NEC or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? 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 New England College than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ($27,398 vs. $28,826).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design are 1.7% lower than at New England College ($17,230 vs. $17,526).
• New England College is 30.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (about $9,788 more per year; $41,938.00 vs. $32,150.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 30.4% higher at NEC than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (about $9,788 more per year; $41,938.00 vs. $32,150.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design than at New England College (100% vs. 99%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by New England College students is 114.1% larger than aid received by Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students ($32,095 vs. $14,989).

NEC vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, NEC or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and NEC.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: NEC - Test-free; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design - Test-free.
• Accepted freshman Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.13) than students at NEC (2.81).
• Pennsylvania College of Art and Design has a higher acceptance rate (99.2%) than NEC (92.1%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8.8% at NEC vs. 32.5% at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

NEC vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for NEC and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? 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).

• Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's six-year graduation rate (52%) is higher than New England College's (38%).
• Graduates from New England College earn a median of about $10,700 more per year than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,400 vs. $28,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and NEC 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 NEC graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($279 vs. $279).
• More Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NEC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 54%)

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.