Quad

Head-to-head

Northern State
Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Massachusetts Maritime Academy grads earn $34.8K more ten years out than Northern State's ($82,392 vs. $47,618)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduates 30 pts more of its students than Northern State (80% vs. 50%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    Massachusetts Maritime Academy's grants cover 43% of its full price on average, vs. 26% at Northern State

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Northern State has 10 pts more first-gen students than Massachusetts Maritime Academy (31% vs. 21%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Massachusetts Maritime Academy has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Northern State (19% vs. 12%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    Northern State costs about $2.3K less per year on average than Massachusetts Maritime Academy ($17,457 vs. $19,761, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Northern State admits 93%, Massachusetts Maritime Academy 95%; Massachusetts Maritime Academy's yield is higher, at 38%.

Acceptance rate
Northern State93%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy95%
Quad's selectivity
  • Northern StateOpen
  • Massachusetts Maritime AcademyAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Northern State
980–1160
Massachusetts Maritime AcademyTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Northern StateGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • Massachusetts Maritime AcademyGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Northern State and Massachusetts Maritime Academy are about the same size; Massachusetts Maritime Academy has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Northern State1.3K
Massachusetts Maritime Academy1.4K
Pell Grant share
Northern State12%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy19%

Majors and faculty

Elementary Education and Teaching leads at Northern State, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Students per faculty member
Northern State19 to 1
Massachusetts Maritime Academy13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Northern StateElementary Education and Teaching10%
  • Massachusetts Maritime AcademyNaval Architecture and Marine Engineering24%

What each costs

Northern State costs about $2.3K less a year than Massachusetts Maritime Academy on average; Massachusetts Maritime Academy's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northern State$17.5K
Massachusetts Maritime Academy$19.8K
Aid generosity
Northern State26%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy43%

What each pays off

Massachusetts Maritime Academy's former students earn more, a median $82.4K ten years after enrolling.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northern State$47.6K
Massachusetts Maritime Academy$82.4K
Graduation rate
Northern State50%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy80%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Massachusetts Maritime Academy but fell at Northern State; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Northern StateShrinking−21%
  • Massachusetts Maritime AcademyGrowing+56%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why