Private nonprofit · College

Merrimack College

North Andover, Massachusetts · Large suburb

70.0%
Admit rate
$37,927
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$75,584
Median earnings

Merrimack College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in North Andover, Massachusetts (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,916 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,916 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 70% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

About North Andover, Massachusetts

North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of European arrival, Massachusett and Naumkeag people inhabited the area south of the Merrimack River and Pennacooks inhabited the area to the north. The Massachusett referred to the area that would later become North Andover as Cochichawick. Barker's Farm, which started in 1643, is the oldest continually operated business in Massachusetts and among the oldest in the United States. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
22 miles to Boston, MA
To the ocean
15 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED)

How Merrimack College compares

Selectivity70.0%

More selective than 64% · #31 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 78% · #31 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention79%

Higher than 60%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$75,584

Higher than 88% · #22 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$37,927

Cheaper than 6% · #53 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment3,916

Larger than 73%

Percentiles compare Merrimack College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Merrimack College campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

5,676students
  • Undergraduate3,91669%
  • Graduate1,76031%

Undergraduates by gender

3,916undergrads
  • Women2,07653%
  • Men1,84047%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White75%
  • Black4.0%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian1.9%
  • Other or multiracial7.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,916
Graduate enrollment
1,760
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
21%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$102,956
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$110,844
Endowment
$86,879,373

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,071 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts66%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International1.6%

A regional draw: about 66% of first-years come from Massachusetts, the rest from elsewhere.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
70.0%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$53,962
Room & board
$21,525
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$70,038
Average net price
$37,927

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
70%
Graduated on time (4 years)
63%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$54,316
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$75,584
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
60%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
75%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
63%
Low-income (Pell)
61%
First-generation
67%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,826
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
72%
Housing charge (year)
$11,232
Meal plan (year)
$8,763
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
843 (434 men · 409 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (18)

Football111
Track and Field (Indoor)97
Track and Field (Outdoor)97
Soccer69
Lacrosse68
Ice Hockey57
Other Sports45
Cross Country41
Baseball40
Basketball38
Volleyball35
Swimming29
Softball25
Rowing24
Golf22
Field Hockey19
Tennis17
Bowling9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
25
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,862 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

8.3reported offenses a year
8.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
5.0
Fondling
2.7
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$31,710
$30–48k
$29,417
$48–75k
$31,962
$75–110k
$36,045
$110k+
$41,050

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$132,666

$31,962/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$27,875
average award, among those who get one

Merrimack College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $27,875. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,182 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$75,584
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
82%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$67,701
Men
$81,460

Men out-earn women by $13,759 (20%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
49.2″
Annual snow
67.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lawrence, MA US station (3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Merrimack College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Merrimack College side by side →

Colleges near Merrimack College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.