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University or college · Private nonprofit

Nichols College

Dudley, MA296 online only

Nichols College is a private nonprofit college in Dudley, MA, with about 1,058 students on campus.

Visit www.nichols.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,058
plus 296 studying only online
Admission rate
81%
higher than at 57% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$33,036
higher than at 89% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
63%
higher than at 65% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$58,063
higher than at 82% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Nichols College, in brief

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $22,054 a year after grants. The average family on aid pays $33,036, more than at 89% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Nichols College is mostly about business

61% of the degrees Nichols College awards are in business; the next biggest field, parks, recreation and fitness, is 17%. Majors ↓

Men outnumber women about two to one

66% of undergraduates are men and 34% are women. The students ↓

Rent in Dudley is below the state median

Median rent in Dudley is $1,217 a month, 31% below the state median. Living in Dudley ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $58,310 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $42,705Room & board $15,800Books & supplies $1,400

After grants, the average family on aid pays $33,036.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$31,978

About $127,912 over 4 years · 45% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Nichols College?

81%

of applicants admitted

About 16 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
528–623
SAT math
500–613

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1140.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
63%
within 6 years · Pell students 52%
Come back for year two
72%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$58,063
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7.2%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $3,986 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

67%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 83% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 61%Parks, recreation & fitness 17%Public safety 9%Psychology 7%Communication 3%Interdisciplinary 3%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business/Commerce, General48 graduates a year · typical debt $19,000
$63k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness47 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$54k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections30 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$75k4 yrs out
Psychology, General26 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Marketing24 graduates a year · typical debt $26,949
$60k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services21 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$79k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations17 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$63k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services16 graduates a year · typical debt $25,522
$81k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,163 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 73%Hispanic 10%Black 8%Asian 1%Two or more 3%International 3%

Women and men

Women 34%Men 66%
15 : 1
students per teacher
26%
get Pell grants (lower income)
69%
take federal loans
6%
undergrads 25 or older
8%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Dudley

13% of Dudley’s 11,972 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Dudley pages.

Dudley →
DudleyDudley, MA
$1,217/momedian rent · 31% below the state$461Ktypical home valueA−Safety Grade17° / 81°January low / July high · 52" of snowBHealth GradeAll colleges in and near DudleyCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Nichols College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

College of the Holy CrossUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Worcester
14.8 mi3,035 students
Clark UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Worcester
15.2 mi4,118 students
Worcester State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Worcester
16.1 mi4,994 students
Worcester Polytechnic InstituteUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Worcester
17.1 mi6,695 students
Assumption UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Worcester
18 mi1,812 students
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolUniversity or college · Public · Worcester
18.3 mi1,354 students
Anna Maria CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Paxton
19.8 mi991 students
Quinsigamond Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Worcester
19.9 mi5,550 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.