Merrimack vs. KSC

Should I go to Merrimack College or Keene State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack or KSC 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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Merrimack College vs. Keene State College comparison
Merrimack College Keene State College College 3 College 4
Merrimack College Keene State College
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Overview

Merrimack KSC
Location North Andover, MA Keene, NH
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 5,505 2,872
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #747
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu keene.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack KSC
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $11,754
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $22,663
Room & Board $18,295 $13,534
Avg Net Price $37,296 $19,546
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $10,085
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 99%

Admission

Merrimack KSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 4,487
Admitted 9,833 4,017
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 89.5%
Enrolled % 12% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/25
SAT Range 970/1170
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Sep 1, 2023 Dec 1, 2023

Academics

Merrimack KSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

Merrimack KSC
Graduation Rate 70% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $44,400
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,295
Median Loan Payment $279 $271

Diversity

Merrimack KSC
% Men 43% 46%
% Women 57% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 86%
% Black 3% 1%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 11% 5%

Students

Merrimack KSC
% In-State 66% 46%
% Out-of-State 31% 54%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Merrimack College is larger than than KSC based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 2,872 students)

Merrimack vs. KSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or KSC?

  • Merrimack College is 289.8% more expensive to attend than KSC for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $11,754.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 102.2% higher at Merrimack than Keene State College ($45,815.00 vs. $22,663.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Keene State College than Merrimack ($19,546 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Keene State College are 35.2% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($13,534 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Keene State College than Merrimack College (99% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 175% larger than aid received Keene State College ($27,729 vs. $10,085)

Merrimack vs. KSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Merrimack students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at KSC (3.1)
  • KSC has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Merrimack vs. KSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merrimack or KSC? 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 KSC and Merrimack.

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Keene State College (70% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $13,600 more per year than KSC graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $44,400)
  • Keene State College students graduate with a $705 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($26,295 vs. $27,000)
  • KSC graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($271 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former KSC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 76%)

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