Rivier University vs Lesley University

Rivier University and Lesley University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Rivier, a private Catholic university in Nashua, New Hampshire, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 60% female and 40% male students. Lesley, a private university with campuses in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 85% and a more balanced gender ratio, with 55% female and 45% male students. While Rivier is known for its strong nursing and healthcare programs, Lesley excels in education, psychology, and the arts. Both universities offer a supportive learning environment and a variety of extracurricular activities, but their unique strengths and characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Lesley University	Rivier University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Nashua, New Hampshire
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	75.0%	80.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.9%	83.7%
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	1,838
Total number of admissions given out	2,558	1,538
Admitted students who chose to enroll	280	319
Yield rate	10.9%	20.7%
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	$55,292
Average net price	$31,928	$26,870
Tuition	$29,200	$34,412
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,060 Meal plan: $6,900	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 $16,316	100.0% Average amount $20,799
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,124	83.0% Average amount $5,493
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,411	19.0% Average amount $14,815

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,757 Men 23.4% Women 76.6%	1,454 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%
Graduate students	2,253 Men 13.6% Women 86.4%	970 Men 23.7% Women 76.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.7%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	799	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	Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Business	Health Professions Education Business Computer and Information Science Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.5%	60.4%
Dropout rate	12.4%	36.3%
Transferred out	26.3%	N/A
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	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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