MCLA vs. Ship

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or Ship 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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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

MCLA Ship
Location North Adams, MA Shippensburg, PA
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 938 5,162
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #666
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu ship.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MCLA Ship
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $9,570
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $10,048
Room & Board $13,632 $11,538
Avg Net Price $15,377 $21,462
Avg Grant Aid $9,044 $7,593
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 91%

Admission

MCLA Ship
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,456 6,367
Admitted 1,346 5,590
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 87.8%
Enrolled % 13.2% 19.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.23
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180 980/1210
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

MCLA Ship
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

MCLA Ship
Graduation Rate 53% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $254 $258

Diversity

MCLA Ship
% Men 42% 47%
% Women 58% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 74% 78%
% Black 9% 10%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

MCLA Ship
% In-State 55% 90%
% Out-of-State 45% 10%

Campus

MCLA Ship
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is larger than than MCLA based on total student enrollment (5,162 students vs. 938 students)

MCLA vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or Ship?

  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is 829.1% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($9,570.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.7% higher at Ship than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($10,048.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Ship ($15,377 vs. $21,462)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are 18.1% lower than costs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($11,538 vs. $13,632)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students is 19.1% larger than aid received Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($9,044 vs. $7,593)

MCLA vs. Ship Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1016) is 37 points higher than at Ship (979)
  • Incoming MCLA students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Ship (21)
  • Accepted freshman Ship students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.23) than students at MCLA (3.2)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Ship (87.8%)

MCLA vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or Ship? 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 Ship and MCLA.

  • The graduation rate at Ship is higher than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (60% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn on average $10,100 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($47,200 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $341 lower median federal student loan debt than Ship graduates. ($24,659 vs. $25,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Ship graduates. ($254 vs. $258)
  • More Ship graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 63%)

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