More selective than 51% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $70,038. College Scorecard.
Higher than 55% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 69% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 90% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Merrimack College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 13,693 applicants, Merrimack College admitted 10,079 and 1,071 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Merrimack College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Merrimack College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Merrimack College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $31,710 | $130,011 | 3.6 years |
| $30–48k | $29,417 | $120,610 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $31,962 | $131,044 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $36,045 | $147,785 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $41,050 | $168,305 | 4.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (65% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($75,584) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,704 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Merrimack College majors, earnings & careers
Merrimack College offers 69 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Business & Finance · 11
- Science & Math · 11
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Education · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at Merrimack College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $114,115 | — |
| Civil Engineering | $90,714 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,545 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $79,581 | $27,000 |
| Physiology | $74,379 | — |
| Business Administration | $73,877 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $69,615 | $27,000 |
| Health Sciences | $68,209 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 69 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$65,549
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$79,581
- Biology / Biotechnology Technologies / Technicians—
- Business Administration$73,877
- Business Economics—
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$90,714
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications$64,345
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$114,115
- Construction Management—
- Criminal Justice$69,615
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education$55,180
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences$68,209
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Development and Family Studies$53,734
- Human Resources—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$85,545
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology$74,379
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$62,567
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,367. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 67 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Essex County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Essex County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Merrimack College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack College | 70% | $37,927 | 70% | $75,584 | This school |
| Endicott College | 71% | $40,654 | 76% | $58,336 | |
| Simmons University | 70% | $25,265 | 72% | $63,494 | |
| Stonehill College | 66% | $33,016 | 76% | $77,745 | |
| Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | 68% | $29,822 | 73% | $67,725 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Merrimack College would cost you $2,727 less per year than Endicott College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Merrimack College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$13,312).
- Merrimack College gives aided families $13,437 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Merrimack College | Endicott College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $53,962 | $40,650 | +$13,312 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,304 | −$304 |
| Housing & meals | $19,995 | $17,372 | +$2,623 |
| Personal & travel | $1,500 | $2,000 | −$500 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,419 | −$1,998 | −$4,421 |
| Sticker price | $70,038 | $59,328 | +$10,710 |
| Average grants | −$32,111 | −$18,674 | −$13,437 |
| You pay | $37,927 | $40,654 | −$2,727 |
“+” means Merrimack College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Merrimack College
What is the Merrimack College acceptance rate?
Merrimack College accepts 70% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 10,079 of 13,693 applicants were admitted.
How much does Merrimack College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $70,038 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $37,927 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $31,710 and families earning $110k+ pay $41,050.
How much do Merrimack College graduates earn?
Former Merrimack College students earn a median $75,584 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Merrimack College graduation rate?
70% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a Merrimack College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Merrimack College costs about $131,044 after grants ($31,962 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $75,584 ten years after starting, $35,704 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Merrimack College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/merrimack-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).