More selective than 38% 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 $58,310. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 40% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Nichols College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,117 applicants, Nichols College admitted 1,866 and 333 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1028–1236 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Nichols 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 Nichols College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Nichols College took 4.2 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 | $22,054 | $91,965 | 5.1 years |
| $30–48k | $24,749 | $103,203 | 5.7 years |
| $48–75k | $31,978 | $133,348 | 7.3 years |
| $75–110k | $33,851 | $141,159 | 7.8 years |
| $110k+ | $35,731 | $148,998 | 8.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% 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 ($58,063) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,183 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.
Nichols College majors, earnings & careers
Nichols College offers 20 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Science & Math · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Nichols College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | $81,485 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $78,894 | $25,858 |
| Criminal Justice | $75,321 | $27,000 |
| International Business | $68,608 | — |
| Business Administration | $63,297 | $27,000 |
| Business | $62,926 | $25,356 |
| Marketing | $60,365 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $53,531 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 20 majors
- Accounting$78,894
- Business$62,926
- Business / Corporate Communications—
- Business Administration$63,297
- Business Economics—
- Criminal Justice$75,321
- Data Analytics—
- Economics—
- English—
- Finance$81,485
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Resources—
- International Business$68,608
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,531
- Marketing$60,365
- Mathematics—
- Psychology$52,824
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Real Estate—
— 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 → 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
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Worcester
Overall prices in the Worcester, MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,659. Housing costs 13% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 47 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Worcester County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Worcester County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Nichols 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nichols College | 81% | $33,036 | 63% | $58,063 | This school |
| Lasell University | 81% | $27,511 | 59% | $49,705 | |
| College of Our Lady of the Elms | 85% | $17,545 | 68% | $51,540 | |
| Emmanuel College | 76% | $26,706 | 68% | $68,245 | |
| Western New England University | 83% | $27,290 | 64% | $73,157 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Nichols College would cost you $5,525 more per year than Lasell University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Nichols College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,665).
- Nichols College gives aided families $10,351 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Nichols College | Lasell University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $42,705 | $27,040 | +$15,665 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,000 | +$500 |
| Housing & meals | $14,950 | $13,500 | +$1,450 |
| Personal & travel | $2,200 | $2,500 | −$300 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,045 | −$1,606 | −$1,439 |
| Sticker price | $58,310 | $42,434 | +$15,876 |
| Average grants | −$25,274 | −$14,923 | −$10,351 |
| You pay | $33,036 | $27,511 | +$5,525 |
“+” means Nichols 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 Nichols College
What is the Nichols College acceptance rate?
Nichols College accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,866 of 2,117 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1028–1236 on the SAT.
How much does Nichols College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $58,310 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $33,036 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,054 and families earning $110k+ pay $35,731.
How much do Nichols College graduates earn?
Former Nichols College students earn a median $58,063 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Nichols College graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Nichols College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Nichols College costs about $133,348 after grants ($31,978 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,063 ten years after starting, $18,183 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 7.3 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: “Nichols College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/nichols-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).