Bridgewater State vs. Merrimack

Should I go to Bridgewater State University or Merrimack College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bridgewater State or Merrimack is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Bridgewater State University vs. Merrimack College comparison
Bridgewater State University Merrimack College College 3 College 4
Bridgewater State University Merrimack College
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Overview

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Location Bridgewater, MA North Andover, MA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 9,604 5,505
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #674
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bridgew.edu merrimack.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Tuition (In State) $910 $45,815
Tuition (Out of State) $7,050 $45,815
Room & Board $14,162 $18,295
Avg Net Price $17,225 $37,296
Avg Grant Aid $8,616 $27,729
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 97%

Admission

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,807 13,175
Admitted 7,725 9,833
Acceptance Rate 87.7% 74.6%
Enrolled % 20.3% 12%
Avg High School GPA 3.21 3.3
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25
SAT Range 1030/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2024 Sep 1, 2023

Academics

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (17%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Graduation Rate 52% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,700 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,590 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $254 $279

Diversity

Bridgewater State Merrimack
% Men 39% 43%
% Women 61% 57%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 73%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 11%

Students

Bridgewater State Merrimack
% In-State 93% 66%
% Out-of-State 7% 31%

Campus

Bridgewater State Merrimack
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bridgewater State University is larger than than Merrimack based on total student enrollment (9,604 students vs. 5,505 students)

Bridgewater State vs. Merrimack Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bridgewater State or Merrimack?

  • Merrimack College is 4,934.6% more expensive to attend than Bridgewater State for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $910.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 549.9% higher at Merrimack than Bridgewater State University ($45,815.00 vs. $7,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater State University than Merrimack ($17,225 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bridgewater State University are 29.2% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($14,162 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than Bridgewater State University (97% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 221.8% larger than aid received Bridgewater State University ($27,729 vs. $8,616)

Bridgewater State vs. Merrimack Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bridgewater State or Merrimack? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Merrimack or Bridgewater State .

  • Accepted freshman Merrimack students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at Bridgewater State (3.21)
  • Bridgewater State has a higher acceptance rate (87.7%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Bridgewater State vs. Merrimack Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bridgewater State or Merrimack? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Merrimack and Bridgewater State.

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Bridgewater State University (70% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $12,300 more per year than Bridgewater State graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $45,700)
  • Bridgewater State University students graduate with a $2,410 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($24,590 vs. $27,000)
  • Bridgewater State graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($254 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bridgewater State students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 64%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/