How much debt do Merrimack College health sciences graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 3rd lowest of 5 health sciences bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Is a health sciences degree from Merrimack College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 87% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Massachusetts programs before deciding.

Merrimack College Health Sciences (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Merrimack College health sciences graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 82% (18 of 22) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Private nonprofit college
North Andover, MA
About 63 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Merrimack College health sciences graduates earn about what health sciences graduates earn nationally, $31,161 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $26,674. Several Massachusetts programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$31,16129th percentile of 146 programs nationally

Median federal debt$27,0003rd lowest of 5 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings87%Massachusetts median 80%, national 75%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Massachusetts and national columns are the medians across all health sciences bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Merrimack College	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,161	$31,215	$34,598
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$27,000	$26,674
Debt as share of first-year pay	87%	80%	75%
Programs compared		5	146

Debt and first-year pay at every Massachusetts health sciences program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Massachusetts medians.

Merrimack CollegeOther Massachusetts programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 11.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $71,919.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

82% of graduates (18 of 22) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $31,161 salary here buys what about $28,782 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to health sciences, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Health Education Specialists

$57,510

Median pay in Massachusetts. 2,420 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $37,460Top 10%: $142,860

Community Health Workers

$55,560

Median pay in Massachusetts. 2,970 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $42,910Top 10%: $74,840

About Merrimack College

Tuition and fees	$53,962 / year
Average net price after aid	$37,927 / year
Admission rate	70%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	70%
Undergraduate students	3,916

Health Sciences ranks 11th of 13 bachelor's programs at Merrimack College by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($79,659), Civil Engineering ($75,556), and Computer Science ($70,256).

Other health sciences bachelor's programs near North Andover

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Merrimack CollegeNorth Andover, MA · private nonprofit		$31,161	$27,000
Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	22 mi	$42,894	$26,000
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesBoston, MA · private nonprofit	23 mi	$49,788	$30,750
Stonehill CollegeEaston, MA · private nonprofit	42 mi	$31,215	$25,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,161 one year after graduating. The median across health sciences bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $31,215.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Massachusetts comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the health sciences program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Health Sciences bachelor's programs in Massachusetts, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Health Sciences bachelor's programs in the US, ranked146 programs by pay and debt All Merrimack College programs, ranked13 programs by pay and debt