How to get into Merrimack College
How to get into Merrimack: a Catholic Augustinian college north of Boston with strong pre-professional pipelines and growing fast
70%
Acceptance rate
$53,962
In-state cost
What makes Merrimack College admissions different
Merrimack College is a private Catholic Augustinian college in North Andover, Massachusetts — roughly 4,000 undergrads on a suburban campus about 30 miles north of Boston. Merrimack admits around 70% of applicants. The school has grown rapidly over the past decade, with established programs in business (the Girard School of Business), nursing, education, and the sciences. The honest story at Merrimack is fit (Catholic Augustinian, suburban-Boston, pre-professional with a co-op-style undergraduate research model) and cost (full-sticker private offset by substantial merit aid).
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Apply through the Common App. Merrimack has Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision deadlines; ED is binding and gives the cleanest admit-rate advantage.
- 2.
Pick the right school. The Girard School of Business, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, the School of Education and Social Policy, and the School of Liberal Arts each have their own program-specific framing.
- 3.
Apply for merit scholarships. Merrimack's Augustinian, Presidential, and named merit awards substantially reduce sticker price for most admits and are stacked with admission for early applicants.
- 4.
Apply to the Honors Program through its separate process. Honors students get a four-year curriculum, dedicated advising, and access to the Honors Living-Learning Community.
- 5.
Pre-health applicants: confirm the direct-admit pathways for nursing, health sciences, and the accelerated graduate programs (BSN-to-DNP, OT, PA). These have their own academic prerequisites.
- 6.
Write a Merrimack-specific supplement that engages with the Augustinian identity (community, service, the search for truth) and the specific program you applied to.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Skipping the binding-ED option when Merrimack is honestly the top choice. ED at Merrimack is one of the cleaner admit-rate levers at this tier of school.
- ✕
Missing the priority scholarship deadline.
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Treating Merrimack as just a generic Catholic college without engaging with the Augustinian identity.
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Ignoring cost. Sticker is full-private and merit aid is the main lever — early applicants get the best offers.
The specifics for Merrimack College
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Augustinian Catholic identity
Merrimack is one of two Augustinian colleges in the United States (alongside Villanova), with the Augustinian values of community, service, and the search for truth shaping the academic experience.
Merrimack's distinctive Graduate Fellowship Program allows qualifying admits to earn a full master's degree alongside the bachelor's at substantially reduced cost — a five-year direct-admit pathway into graduate education.
Direct-admit accelerated pathways
Merrimack offers direct-admit accelerated programs into BSN-to-DNP nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant tracks.
What graduates actually do
Merrimack, a Catholic Augustinian college in North Andover, Massachusetts, sends graduates into Boston-area business, education, healthcare, and the sciences. The Girard School of Business and the engineering program (one of few small-college engineering programs in the region) anchor strong placement, and graduate programs in education and health professions expanded substantially in the 2010s.
Notable alumni
- Buddy Teevens — College football coaching
- Joe Jurevicius — Professional football
- Mark Bavaro — Professional football (NY Giants)
Transfer pathway
Merrimack accepts transfers on a rolling basis. The college has articulation agreements with Northern Essex Community College, Middlesex Community College, and other Massachusetts community colleges. A 2.5+ GPA is typically required, and the college accepts up to 75 credits from two-year institutions.
Articulation partners
Northern Essex Community College · Middlesex Community College · North Shore Community College
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App. Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
If you have a B+ transcript and an interest in pre-professional study (business, nursing, education, health sciences) at a Catholic college in the Boston area, Merrimack is a likely admit and likely affordable after merit aid. ED is the cleanest move for committed applicants. The decision is fit (Catholic Augustinian, suburban-Boston, pre-professional) and net cost.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.