Merrimack vs Lesley University

Merrimack College and Lesley University, both located in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Merrimack College, a private Catholic institution, boasts a lower acceptance rate (73%) compared to Lesley University's (80%). While Merrimack's student body is predominantly undergraduate (88%), Lesley University has a larger graduate student population (44%). In terms of popular majors, Merrimack College emphasizes business, engineering, and health professions, while Lesley University focuses on education, psychology, and creative arts. With a higher graduation rate (82%) compared to Lesley University's (75%), Merrimack College may appeal to students seeking a more structured and rigorous academic environment. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover further distinctions between these two institutions and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Lesley University	Merrimack College
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	North Andover, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	75.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.9%	80.3%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,942	10,429
Total number of admissions given out	2,558	8,375
Admitted students who chose to enroll	280	967
Yield rate	10.9%	11.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,775	$64,774
Average net price	$31,928	$35,500
Tuition	$29,200	$43,842
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,060 Meal plan: $6,900	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 $16,316	99.0% Average amount $25,528
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,124	64.0% Average amount $5,356
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,411	16.0% Average amount $22,739

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,757 Men 23.4% Women 76.6%	4,120 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Graduate students	2,253 Men 13.6% Women 86.4%	1,332 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.7%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	799	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	Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Business	Education Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.5%	69.0%
Dropout rate	12.4%	0.1%
Transferred out	26.3%	30.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,807 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $80,016 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,822 Year 2: $53,298 Year 3: $57,561 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,186 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $57,321 Education, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,259 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $56,263 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,742 Year 2: $49,855 Year 3: $55,299 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,191 Year 2: $44,595 Year 3: $50,138 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,470 Year 2: $46,869 Year 3: $49,494 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,051 Year 2: $41,353 Year 3: $44,028 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,433 Year 3: $38,957 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,949 Year 2: $20,687 Year 3: $37,894	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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