Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) vs Merrimack

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Merrimack College stand out as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. SNHU, a private, nonprofit university, boasts a significantly higher acceptance rate (93%) compared to Merrimack College's more selective admissions process (73%). While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, SNHU's online learning options cater to a broader student body, including working professionals and those seeking flexible study formats. In contrast, Merrimack College's traditional on-campus programs foster a close-knit community among its primarily residential student population. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions, encompassing acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Merrimack College	Southern New Hampshire University
Overview
Location	North Andover, Massachusetts	Manchester, New Hampshire
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
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%	62.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	80.3%	92.1%
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	10,429	27,953
Total number of admissions given out	8,375	25,736
Admitted students who chose to enroll	967	10,607
Yield rate	11.5%	41.2%
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	$64,774	$38,518
Average net price	$35,500	$21,502
Tuition	$43,842	$15,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,493 Meal plan: $7,323	Room/dormitory: $8,000 Meal plan: $4,200
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $25,528	79.0% Average amount $6,006
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,356	50.0% Average amount $5,176
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $22,739	0.0% Average amount $7,258

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,120 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%	121,884 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%
Graduate students	1,332 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%	23,649 Men 31.9% Women 68.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	93.2%
International students	1.9%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,713	1,934
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Texas New Hampshire Pennsylvania California Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science	Business Health Professions Psychology Liberal Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	24:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.0%	39.1%
Dropout rate	0.1%	34.5%
Transferred out	30.5%	24.7%
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	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,875 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $94,544 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,753 Year 2: $73,898 Year 3: $77,504 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,717 Year 2: $69,218 Year 3: $76,866 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,435 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $72,152 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,002 Year 2: $61,218 Year 3: $69,749 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,617 Year 2: $65,734 Year 3: $68,411 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,193 Year 2: $60,320 Year 3: $68,398 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $52,944 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $65,098 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,847 Year 2: $58,622 Year 3: $63,145 Human Resources Management and Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $54,435 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $61,662

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