Nichols College vs Rivier University

Nichols College and Rivier University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Nichols College, a private business-focused college in Dudley, Massachusetts, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a student body of over 2,000 undergraduates. Rivier University, a private Catholic university in Nashua, New Hampshire, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 85% and a more diverse student body of over 2,500 undergraduates. While Nichols College excels in business and management programs, Rivier University offers a wider range of majors, including nursing, education, and social work. Both institutions offer competitive graduation rates, with Nichols College at 80% and Rivier University at 78%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Nichols College logo

Nichols College

Rivier University logo

Rivier University

Overview

Location Dudley, Massachusetts Nashua, New Hampshire
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
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 74.0% 80.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 84.8% 83.7%
Application fees
SAT range 970 - 1160 N/A
ACT range 20 - 26 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 2.0%
Total number of applicants 2,193 1,838
Total number of admissions given out 1,859 1,538
Admitted students who chose to enroll 316 319
Yield rate 17.0% 20.7%
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 $48,400 $55,292
Average net price $28,184 $26,870
Tuition $36,050 $34,412
Room & board $13,950
Room/dormitory: $7,746

Meal plan: $6,526
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $24,624
100.0%
Average amount $20,799
Students receiving federal student loan 93.0%
Average amount $6,086
83.0%
Average amount $5,493
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $19,280
19.0%
Average amount $14,815

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,207
Men 66.4% Women 33.6%
1,454
Men 23.0% Women 77.0%
Graduate students 227
Men 65.6% Women 34.4%
970
Men 23.7% Women 76.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 3.0% N/A
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 890 408
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
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Communication and Journalism
  • History
  • English Language and Literature
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 57.6% 60.4%
Dropout rate 40.2% 36.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,056
  • Year 2: $65,387
  • Year 3: $77,370
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,536
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $56,807
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,425
  • Year 2: $50,717
  • Year 3: $55,404
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,838
  • Year 2: $45,956
  • Year 3: $54,161
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,403
  • Year 2: $51,169
  • Year 3: $53,268
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,212
  • Year 2: $46,478
  • Year 3: $52,702
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,724
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $45,965
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,742
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $40,471
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,128
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,482
  • Year 2: $99,817
  • Year 3: $106,878
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,515
  • Year 2: $66,787
  • Year 3: $68,639
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,342
  • Year 2: $59,417
  • Year 3: $64,564
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,049
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: $54,406
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,286
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $48,072
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,329
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $42,296
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,031
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $41,029
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,138
  • Year 3: $38,869
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,311
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $38,526
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,141
  • Year 3: N/A

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