How To Use the 2018 Guide
The 2018 guide includes colleges and universities based in the six New England states that are authorized to grant undergraduate and/or graduate degrees.
Information was derived from a 2017 New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) online survey. Institutional participation was voluntary and responses varied. In some cases, data was obtained from the college’s Common Data Set and/or website.
Colleges are designated as either Public or Independent (including primarily nonprofits, but also for-profits).
Email and phone number(s) are for the admissions offices.
Deadlines for Fall Admission
Apply by: Application deadline for freshman admissions (unless a graduate level-only institution). Rolling indicates college considers applications year-round.
Priority Deadline: Date by which students should apply for priority consideration.
Early Action: Application deadline for early acceptance (not requiring an enrollment commitment).
Early Decision: Application deadline for early acceptance (requiring an enrollment commitment).
Acceptance Rates: Percentage of applicants who were accepted. Number of students who applied / number accepted by the college / number who enrolled.
Freshman Acceptance Rate: Percentage of freshman applicants who were accepted.
Transfer Acceptance Rate: Percentage of transfer applicants from other colleges who were accepted. Note: Most colleges consider transfer applications, but not all provided their transfer acceptance rates.
Student/Faculty Ratio, Fall 2016: Example: 20:1 means average of 20 students per faculty member.
Enrollment Data, Fall 2016: Total enrollment includes full- and part-time students in undergraduate and/or graduate programs (degree and non-degree students).
Following breakdowns are listed as a percentage of total number of enrolled students: (% of total, or % of undergraduate/ % of graduate).
Part-time • Female • Commuters (Living off campus).
Minority: Race reported as Hispanic, Black or African-American, American Indian or Alaska
Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, or two or more races.
International: Permanent residents of other countries.
Cost of Attendance, Fall 2017: Annual costs for full-time undergraduate (unless graduate-only institution)
In/Out: Tuition and fees at public institutions for state residents / out-of-state students.
Fees: Mandatory fees charged to all students.(Fees may vary by program, insurance coverage
requirements, etc.)
Room and Board: Average annual charge for double occupancy, on-campus housing with a meal plan. (Charges may vary by housing options and meal plan.)
Comprehensive Fee: Tuition, fees and room & board charged as one fee (at certain colleges.)
Degrees Offered: Associate, Bachelor’s, M (Master’s), D (Doctorate).
Online: Entire degree programs offered online.
Accel: Accelerated program to complete study in fewer than the usual number of years.
Coop: Cooperative education program with alternate class attendance and employment.
DL: Courses or instruction available via distance learning.
Dual: Dual enrollment, whereby high school students may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in high school, but are not required to apply for admission to the college.
ESL: English-as-a-Second-Language for nonnative English speakers.
ExtDeg: External degree program comprising independent study with minimal or no classroom attendance.
Intern: Internships to earn academic credit for short-term, supervised experience.
Wknd: Weekend college (classes on weekends only).
PLA: Credit for prior learning through assessments such as CLEP (College Level Exam Program), DSST (Dantes test), ACE (American Council on Education) and AP (Advanced Placement).
Childcare: On-campus day care for students’ children.
Tuition Break: Out-of-state tuition discounts for eligible New England residents enrolled in approved programs. Visit nebhe.org/programs-overview/rsp-tuition-break/overview.
Some Additional Information
Academic Calendar: Typical academic year has two semesters (two equal units). Other calendar types include: trimester (3 units); quarter (4 units); and 4-1-4 or 4-4-1 or 4-1-4-1 (two terms of four months and one or more month-long session).
Accreditation: The majority of colleges are “regionally accredited” by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Visit cihe.neasc.org.
Admissions Tests: Contact institutions regarding required admissions tests. Students applying as freshmen typically take the SAT and/or the ACT during their junior and/or senior year of high school. Community colleges do not require the SAT or ACT.
ACT: American College Testing Program. Visit act.org
SAT, SAT II: College Board. Visit sat.collegeboard.org
FairTest: Colleges that do not require admissions tests in all cases: fairtest.org/university/optional.
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language: Usually required for students whose native