Merrimack vs Saint Francis University

Merrimack College and Saint Francis University, both private institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Merrimack, located in North Andover, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Saint Francis's 68%. With a larger student body, Merrimack's campus buzzes with a diverse mix of students from various backgrounds. Saint Francis, nestled in Loretto, Pennsylvania, fosters a close-knit community with a higher percentage of female students. While both institutions excel in liberal arts and sciences, Merrimack offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including engineering, business, and health sciences. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more key differences, including graduation rates, popular majors, and financial aid opportunities, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Merrimack College	Saint Francis University
Overview
Location	North Andover, Massachusetts	Loretto, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
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	84.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	80.3%	73.3%
Application fees		$30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	10,429	2,063
Total number of admissions given out	8,375	1,513
Admitted students who chose to enroll	967	398
Yield rate	11.5%	26.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$64,774	$61,110
Average net price	$35,500	$28,883
Tuition	$43,842	$38,852
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,493 Meal plan: $7,323	Room/dormitory: $6,532 Meal plan: $7,076
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $25,528	100.0% Average amount $26,960
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,356	61.0% Average amount $5,240
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $22,739	29.0% Average amount $19,827

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,120 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%	2,552 Men 38.0% Women 62.0%
Graduate students	1,332 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%	482 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.9%	0.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,713	1,284
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 Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.0%	74.0%
Dropout rate	0.1%	26.0%
Transferred out	30.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,462 Year 2: $103,821 Year 3: $107,108 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,301 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $49,231 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,560 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,679 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $64,580 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,723 Year 2: $58,866 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,218 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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