Merrimack vs. Rivier College

Should I go to Merrimack College or Rivier College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack or Rivier College 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. Rivier College comparison
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Merrimack College
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Overview

Merrimack Rivier College
Location North Andover, MA Nashua, NH
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 5,505 2,551
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu rivier.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack Rivier College
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $35,445
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $35,445
Room & Board $18,295 $14,362
Avg Net Price $37,296 $28,983
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $21,554
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 99%

Admission

Merrimack Rivier College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 1,629
Admitted 9,833 1,376
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 84.5%
Enrolled % 12% 20%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
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 Oct 16, 2023

Academics

Merrimack Rivier College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Health Professions (55%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

Merrimack Rivier College
Graduation Rate 70% 32%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $46,400
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,455
Median Loan Payment $279 $263

Diversity

Merrimack Rivier College
% Men 43% 32%
% Women 57% 68%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 79%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 11% 8%

Students

Merrimack Rivier College
% In-State 66% 49%
% Out-of-State 31% 51%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Merrimack College is larger than than Rivier College based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 2,551 students)

Merrimack vs. Rivier College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or Rivier College?

  • Merrimack College is 29.3% more expensive to attend than Rivier College for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $35,445.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.3% higher at Merrimack than Rivier College ($45,815.00 vs. $35,445.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rivier College than Merrimack ($28,983 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rivier College are 27.4% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($14,362 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rivier College than Merrimack College (99% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 28.6% larger than aid received Rivier College ($27,729 vs. $21,554)

Merrimack vs. Rivier College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Rivier College has a higher acceptance rate (84.5%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Merrimack vs. Rivier College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merrimack or Rivier College? 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 Rivier College and Merrimack.

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Rivier College (70% vs. 32%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $11,600 more per year than Rivier College graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $46,400)
  • Rivier College students graduate with a $1,545 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($25,455 vs. $27,000)
  • Rivier College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($263 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rivier College students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 70%)

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