Nichols vs. MCLA

Should I go to Nichols College or Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Nichols or MCLA 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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Nichols College vs. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts comparison
Nichols College Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts College 3 College 4
Nichols College
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Overview

 Nichols MCLA
Location Dudley, MA North Adams, MA
Setting Rural Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 1,354 933
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #905
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nichols.edu mcla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Nichols MCLA
Tuition (In State) $38,825 $1,030
Tuition (Out of State) $38,825 $9,975
Room & Board $14,950 $14,634
Avg Net Price $31,032 $17,705
Avg Grant Aid $24,720 $9,606
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 99%

Admission

 Nichols MCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,117 1,543
Admitted 1,866 1,425
Acceptance Rate 88.1%Open 92.4%
Enrolled % 17.8%Open 13.4%
Avg High School GPA 2.9 3.2
Typical High School Grades B- B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 1000/1190 960/1180
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Nichols MCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (75%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Psychology (3%)
  • Education (2%)
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

 Nichols MCLA
Graduation Rate 43% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $24,659
Median Loan Payment $279 $254

Diversity

 Nichols MCLA
% Men 8% 3%
% Women 7% 7%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 81% 74%
% Black 7% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 4%

Students

 Nichols MCLA
% In-State 51% 55%
% Out-of-State 46% 41%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Nichols College is larger than than MCLA based on total student enrollment (1,354 students vs. 933 students)

Nichols vs. MCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Nichols or MCLA?

  • Nichols College is 3,669.4% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($38,825.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 289.2% higher at Nichols than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($38,825.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Nichols ($17,705 vs. $31,032)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are 2.2% lower than costs at Nichols College ($14,634 vs. $14,950)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Nichols College (99% vs. 95%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Nichols College students is 157.3% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($24,720 vs. $9,606)

Nichols vs. MCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman MCLA students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.2) than students at Nichols (2.9)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Nichols (88.1%)

Nichols vs. MCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Nichols or MCLA? 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 MCLA and Nichols.

  • The graduation rate at MCLA is higher than Nichols College (53% vs. 43%)
  • Graduates from Nichols College earn on average $14,700 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $2,341 lower median federal student loan debt than Nichols graduates. ($24,659 vs. $27,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than Nichols graduates. ($254 vs. $279)
  • More Nichols graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 63%)

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