Salem State vs Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)

Salem State University and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, both esteemed public institutions in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Salem State, located in the vibrant city of Salem, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. In contrast, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, nestled in the picturesque town of North Adams, maintains a more selective admissions process. While Salem State excels in fields like nursing, business, and education, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts shines in liberal arts and sciences, with strengths in psychology, English, and history. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional program offerings, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	Salem State University
Overview
Location	North Adams, Massachusetts	Salem, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	63.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.0%	90.0%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	1,371	6,287
Total number of admissions given out	1,247	5,659
Admitted students who chose to enroll	167	939
Yield rate	13.4%	16.6%
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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,928 Out of state: $34,873	In state: $27,123 Out of state: $33,928
Average net price	$14,902	$18,125
Tuition	In state: $1,030 Out of state: $9,975	In state: $910 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,240 Meal plan: $5,044	$14,590
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $8,496	91.0% Average amount $7,673
Students receiving federal student loan	97.0% Average amount $3,734	67.0% Average amount $4,984
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $9,492	10.0% Average amount $12,948

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	870 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	5,555 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Graduate students	124 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%	1,576 Men 21.8% Women 78.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	N/A	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,020	1,928
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New York Vermont Connecticut Rhode Island	New York New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Computer and Information Science Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Health Professions Business Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	58.4%	56.8%
Dropout rate	41.6%	40.8%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,895 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,830 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,172 Year 2: $34,467 Year 3: $40,733 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,359 Year 2: $27,181 Year 3: $40,148 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,408 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,617 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $34,741 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,798 Year 2: $31,828 Year 3: $32,817 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,438 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $32,425 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,231 Year 2: $29,374 Year 3: $31,158 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,032 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,169 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,461 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $81,500 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,690 Year 2: $69,261 Year 3: $74,129 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,511 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,206 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,183 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $64,195 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,356 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $61,164 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,191 Year 2: $54,855 Year 3: $59,882 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,049 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $53,563 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,859 Year 2: $48,302 Year 3: $52,492 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,960 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $51,920 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,346 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $51,685

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Salem State vs Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Salem State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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