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Plaistow town hallPhoto: Wesman83 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Plaistow

Northern Essex Community College is 4.1 miles from Plaistow

No college sits inside Plaistow’s boundary, but Northern Essex Community College’s campus in Haverhill, with 3,674 students on campus, is 4.1 miles from the center of town, and Great Bay Community College is 21.6 miles away in Portsmouth. About 3% of Plaistow’s residents are enrolled in college, below New Hampshire (6%).

Northern Essex Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Plaistow. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
8,622 students on campus
Nearest college
4.1 mi
Northern Essex
Residents in college
3%
Below NH (6%)
Nearest community college
21.6 mi
Great Bay · $7,200 tuition
Nearest public university
21.4 mi
University of New Hampshire at Manchester · $15,838 in-state
Median household income
$108K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Plaistow

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A community college 4.1 miles awayNorthern Essex Community College has 3,674 students on campus in Haverhill, 21% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at University of New Hampshire at ManchesterLiving in New Hampshire, the University of New Hampshire at Manchester charges $15,838 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $36,418. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 21.6 miles awayGreat Bay Community College in Portsmouth: tuition and fees $7,200 a year for New Hampshire residents.Students are 3% of residentsBelow New Hampshire (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Plaistow

Two private colleges within 12.5 miles, and Northern Essex Community College 4.1 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of New Hampshire at Manchester, is 21.4 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miMerrimack CollegeNorthern EssexMassachusetts School of LawPlaistow
University or collegeCommunity college
Northern Essex Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,674 on campus · 4.1 mi · Haverhill, MA$6knet price21%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $6,732 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Merrimack CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,664 on campus · 12.3 mi · North Andover, MA70%admitted$38knet price70%graduate$76kearningsMassachusetts School of LawUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 284 on campus · 12.5 mi · Andover, MAGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Plaistow’s median household income ($108,317) falls.

Northern Essex Community College4.1 mi · Haverhill, MA · sticker $13,201 · tuition $6,732$6,628a year
University of New Hampshire at Manchester21.4 mi · Manchester · sticker $20,020$7,270a year
Merrimack College12.3 mi · North Andover, MA · sticker $70,038$36,045a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Northern EssexMerrimack CollegeUniversity of New Hampshire at Manchester
Merrimack College70% graduate$76k earnings$27k typical debt
Northern Essex Community College21% graduate$43k earnings$9k typical debt
University of New Hampshire at Manchester50% graduate$66k earnings*$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: University of New Hampshire at Manchester (4).

Questions about college near Plaistow

Is Plaistow a college town?

No. About 3 of every 100 Plaistow residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below New Hampshire (6). The nearest campus, Northern Essex Community College, is 4.1 miles away in Haverhill.

What colleges are near Plaistow?

Within 15 miles: Northern Essex Community College (4.1 miles, 3,674 students on campus), Merrimack College (12.3 miles, 4,664) and Massachusetts School of Law (12.5 miles, 284).

What is the closest community college to Plaistow, and what does it cost?

Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, 21.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,200 a year for New Hampshire residents; the federal net price, $15,768, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of New Hampshire at Manchester cost if we live in New Hampshire?

Tuition and fees are $15,838 a year in-state and $36,418 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $3,181 (under $30,000 income) to $16,386 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Plaistow. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →