New England College is located in Henniker, New Hampshire, a rural area just 15 minutes from New Hampshire’s state capital, Concord. Its campus is 30 minutes from New Hampshire’s largest city, Manchester, and 90 minutes from Boston, Massachusetts. This makes it a rural campus with easy access to bigger cities. New England College offers both New England College online and on-campus programs.
New England College has 37 bachelor’s degree programs, 12 master’s degree programs, and one doctoral degree program, all of which are offered in the liberal arts tradition, with an emphasis on experiential learning. It also offers 18 varsity sports, numerous intramural sports, and more than 40 clubs and organizations.i
Many of the school’s students have also benefited from NEC’s internship opportunities that give them access to real-world experience and hands-on training. NEC actively collaborates with industry partners and career counseling services to support students.i
Unique Opportunities at New England College Online
- A proponent of exploratory learning, through a framework of academic freedom, the NEC prides itself on informed discourse to help students realize and attain their full potential.
- New England College classes are offered in a 100 percent online format, with no specified log-in times, allowing for complete coursework flexibility and self paced educational progress.
- The New England College features an extensive, 24/7 online library and resource center that assists students with their studies on their own schedules.
- Students have the opportunity to graduate faster with programs divided into seven academic terms per year.
New England College’s Mission
New England College’s mission is to provide a creative and supportive learning environment that , in turn, challenges students to transform not only themselves but also the worlds they live in. It challenges its students to reach their full potential through informed discourse and the pursuit of excellence.ii
New England College’s framework of “academic freedom” reflects the following values:ii
- Imaginative, innovative, and creative approaches to all endeavors
- Respect for self in the development of personal, social, physical and intellectual abilities
- Caring and collaborative relationships among members of our community
- Respect for the varied qualities of individuals, communities and the world
- An appreciation of beauty and elegance in the search for truth
- Inquiry into and the pursuit of social justice
- Ethical and responsible citizenship, including service to the community
- The pursuit of ecological sustainability
- Continuous learning and a lifetime of personal achievement
New England College Tuition
Tuition for New England College cost full-time undergraduate students an estimated $35,952 during the 2016-2017 school year. Books and supplies cost an additional estimated $1,000 that same year. For a four-year degree, if started in 2017, students could pay an estimated $158,543 including possible inflation, but not including books and supplies. This cost is just a ballpark number.iii
Graduate students at New England College paid an estimated $13,560 for tuition in the 2016-2017 school year. They paid an additional estimated $175 in fees.iii
As a private school, New England College charges the same tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students.iii
New England College Financial Aid
During the 2015-2016 school year, 76 percent of all undergraduate students, or 1,446 students, took out federal student loans. On average, each student received $8,025 in student-loan money.
That same year, 77 percent of all undergraduate students, or 1,451 students, received grants or scholarships. On average, each student received $14,590 in grant or scholarship aid. Of those students who received grant or scholarship aid, 51 percent, or 973 students, received federal Pell grants.iii
New England College Online
New England College offers online undergraduate degrees at the associate’s- and bachelor’s-degree levels in:iv
- Accounting
- Business administration
- Criminal justice
- Fire science administration
- Healthcare administration
- Human services
- Psychology
- Sociology
It also offers online bachelor’s degrees in communication, homeland security and emergency preparedness, humanities, international relations and diplomacy, and social sciences. It offers additional online associate’s degrees in liberal studies. At the bachelor’s degree levels, New England College offers an array of concentrations across subjects.
At the graduate level, New England College offers the following degrees online:v
- Campus public safety administration (M.S.)
- MBA (across areas, such as health informatics, project management, and strategic sales management)
- CAGS
- Education (M.Ed.) (across areas, such as alternative education, digital equity leadership, and STEM)
- Professional writing (M.A.)
In fall 2016, 48 percent of undergraduate students at New England College were enrolled entirely in online education. The remaining 52 percent were not enrolled in any online education at all.iii
Of graduate students at New England College that same semester and year, 59 percent were enrolled entirely in online education. Seven percent were enrolled in some online education. And 34 percent were not enrolled in any online education at all.iii
New England College Majors
During the 2015-2016 school year, New England College awarded 11 associate’s degrees, 226 bachelor’s degrees, 257 master’s degrees, 16 doctorate degrees, and 11 certificates.iii
For students graduating with an associate’s degree, the most popular major was business administration and management.iii
For students graduating with a bachelor’s degree, the most popular majors were:iii
- Health care administration and management
- Business administration and management
- Criminal justice and police science
- Kinesiology and exercise science
- General psychology
Students earning master’s degrees that year, most commonly did so in:iii
- Accounting
- Organizational leadership
- Health care administration and management
- Public policy analysis
- Educational leadership and administration
- Educational, instructional, and curriculum supervision
Students who earned a doctorate degree in the 2015-2016 school year did so in educational leadership and administration or higher education/higher education administration. Those who earned postgraduate certificates did so in educational leadership and administration or educational instruction, leadership, and curriculum supervision.iii
New England College Enrollment
2,781 students were enrolled at New England College in fall 2016. Of those students, 1,771 were undergraduate students, and 1,010 were graduate students.iii
Of the undergraduate students enrolled that year, 98 percent attended classes full-time. Just two percent attended classes part-time. Fifty-six percent of undergraduate students were age 24 or younger and 43 percent were age 25 and older. (One percent of students’ ages were unknown.)
A large majority of students—74 percent—were out-of-state students.iii
Of the graduate students registered in classes that semester and year, 84 percent attended classes full-time. Sixteen percent attended classes part-time.iii
New England College Admissions
For the fall 2016 semester, 4,249 prospective students applied to New England College. Of those applicants, 99 percent were accepted. Seven percent of accepted applicants enrolled in classes. The New England College acceptance rate is 99 percent, which U.S. News ranks as “less selective.”vi
For undergraduate admissions in fall 2016, New England College considered applicants’ high school records, letters of recommendation, and for learners for whom English was a second language, Test of English as a Second Language (TESOL) scores. In fall 2016, the application fee for undergraduate students was $50.iii
New England College also recommends that applicants submit their high school GPA and evidence that they’ve completed a college preparatory program. New England College GPA requirements depend on the program and program level.iii
In the Classroom at New England College
In fall 2016, New England College had 41 full-time faculty members and 192 part-time faculty members. The school employed three graduate assistants, all of whom focused on providing instructional support.
The student to faculty ratio at New England College is 16 to 1. Nearly seventy-seven percent of classes at the school had fewer than 20 students in the 2016-2017 school year. That same year, just over 23 percent of classes had 20 to 49 students. No classes had more than 50 students.vi
New England College Ranking
U.S. News ranks New England College #146-#187 in Regional Universities North.vii For its online programs, U.S. News gave New England College the following rankings:viii
- #80 (tie) in Best Online Graduate Business Programs (excluding MBA)
- #155 (tie) in Best Online MBA Programs
- #158 (tie) in Best Online Graduate Education Programs
- #172 (tie) in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
Accreditation for New England College
New England College has institutional accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. It has held accreditation from this accrediting agency since 1967.iii
Find New England College Programs
Explore New England College online degrees or degrees offered on campus. Find your perfect program and begin your path to further your education.
i nec.edu/about/nec-at-a-glance/ | ii nec.edu/about/mission-vision/ | iii nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=182980 | iv nec.edu/academics/undergraduate-degree-online/ | v nec.edu/academics/graduate-degree-online-programs/ | vi usnews.com/best-colleges/new-england-college-2579 | vii usnews.com/best-colleges/new-england-college-2579 | viii usnews.com/education/online-education/new-england-college-182980