Public · Community college
Northern Essex Community College
Haverhill, Massachusetts · Large suburb
- 17%
- Transfer rate
- $6,046
- Avg net price
- 21%
- Grad / completion
- $42,862
- Median earnings
Northern Essex Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Haverhill, Massachusetts (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,685 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill has played a role in nearly every era of American history, from the initial colonial settlement, to the French and Indian Wars, and the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 25 miles to Manchester, NH
- To the ocean
- 10 miles
- Nearest airport
- 22 miles to Manchester-Boston (MHT)
How Northern Essex Community College compares
Higher than 5% · #45 of 52 in Massachusetts
Higher than 25%
Higher than 79% · #19 of 34 in Massachusetts
Cheaper than 86% · #4 cheapest of 52 in Massachusetts
Lower than 66%
Lower than 35%
Larger than 88%
Percentiles compare Northern Essex Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Massachusetts.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,26962%
- Men1,41638%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White35%
- Black6.3%
- Hispanic49%
- Asian2.1%
- Other or multiracial7.1%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,685
- Student–faculty ratio
- 19 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 47%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 30%
- Median family income
- $24,448
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $74,862
- Endowment
- $10,032,236
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 654 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Massachusetts89%
- Other U.S. states10%
- International0.5%
Most first-years stay in state — Northern Essex Community College draws overwhelmingly from Massachusetts.
1% 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.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $6,732
- Out-of-state tuition
- $12,516
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,400
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,201
- Average net price
- $6,046
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
- 21%
- First-year retention
- 61%
- Transferred to another college
- 17%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,235
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $42,862
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Students with federal loans
- 10%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division III
- Varsity athletes
- 134 (108 men · 26 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 (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (4,721 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.
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.
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.
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.
Modest institutional aid: 29% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,096. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
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 344 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)
- $42,862
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 21%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 51%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $12,340 (32%) 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
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 16°F
- Annual rain
- 49.6″
- Annual snow
- 57.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Haverhill, MA US station (2.6 mi from campus).
What Northern Essex Community College graduates study — and earn
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 Northern Essex Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Northern Essex Community College side by side →
Mount Wachusett Community College
Gardner, Massachusetts · Midsize suburb · 25 mi to Worcester
- Students
- 3,059
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $41k
Cape Cod Community College
West Barnstable, Massachusetts · Small city · 56 mi to Providence
- Students
- 2,911
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $44k
Massasoit Community College
Brockton, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 20 mi to Boston
- Students
- 4,235
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $46k
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 17 mi to Providence
- Students
- 6,083
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $39k
North Shore Community College
Danvers, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 17 mi to Boston
- Students
- 4,393
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $45k
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield, Massachusetts · Midsize city · 1 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 4,759
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $37k
Colleges near Northern Essex Community College
Northpoint Bible College
Haverhill, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 86 students
New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts
North Andover, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 430 students
Spa Tech Institute-North Andover
North Andover, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 118 students
Merrimack College
North Andover, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 3,916 students
Massachusetts School of Law
Andover, MA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
North Shore Community College
Danvers, MA · Public · Associate · 4,393 students
EINE Inc
Tewksbury, MA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 47 students
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
South Hamilton, MA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
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.