Merrimack vs Benedictine College

Merrimack College and Benedictine College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Merrimack, a private Catholic college in North Andover, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Benedictine's 68%. Both colleges offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Merrimack excelling in business, engineering, and health sciences, while Benedictine is known for its strengths in liberal arts, education, and nursing. Merrimack's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and a more balanced gender ratio. Benedictine, on the other hand, has a higher graduation rate (73%) compared to Merrimack's 68%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more. Explore the table to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Benedictine College	Merrimack College
Overview
Location	Atchison, Kansas	North Andover, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	98.5%	80.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1100 - 1350	N/A
ACT range	22 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%
Students submitting ACT score	56.0%
Total number of applicants	2,728	10,429
Total number of admissions given out	2,687	8,375
Admitted students who chose to enroll	610	967
Yield rate	22.7%	11.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$47,730	$64,774
Average net price	$27,946	$35,500
Tuition	$31,830	$43,842
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,910 Meal plan: $5,270	Room/dormitory: $9,493 Meal plan: $7,323
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $19,717	99.0% Average amount $25,528
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,113	64.0% Average amount $5,356
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,478	16.0% Average amount $22,739

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,202 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%	4,120 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Graduate students	85 Men 55.3% Women 44.7%	1,332 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.0%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,538	2,713
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Education Social Sciences	Education Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	69.0%
Dropout rate	7.3%	0.1%
Transferred out	29.7%	30.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $57,978 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,383 Year 3: $54,526 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $42,194 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,842 Year 2: $36,272 Year 3: $36,478 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,647 Year 2: $32,213 Year 3: $34,741 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,946 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $26,975 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,774 Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,212 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,447 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,692 Year 2: $44,327 Year 3: $57,831 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,877 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $48,983 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,240 Year 2: $43,160 Year 3: $48,263 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,959 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $47,824 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,026 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $44,114 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,044 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: N/A Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,117 Year 2: $62,508 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,444 Year 2: $36,312 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,991 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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