Public
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Northern Essex Community College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
$11,921Annual Cost
$42,862Grad Salary
33.1%Pell Grant
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$3,971
Need-Based Aid
33.1% receive Pell
Northern Essex Community College MA Northern Essex Community College is widely recognized for transfer education and workforce preparation. Many students transfer to universities throughout Massachusetts and New England after completing coursework at NECC.\n\nThe college offers strong programs in healthcare, business, technology, STEM disciplines, and liberal arts. Comprehensive academic support and career services help students achieve their goals.
Northern Essex Community College Acceptance Rate
Admission at Northern Essex Community College is inclusive by design: 100% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
A GPA a bit under the average isn't disqualifying at this tier — a solid test score or clear leadership record can offset it.
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Northern Essex Community College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Northern Essex Community College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
NECC reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
💡 The scholarship deadline (March 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Check Your Admission Chances at NECC
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Northern Essex Community College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Northern Essex Community College (NECC) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at NECC — landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into NECC Without SAT or ACT?
NECC's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for NECC
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
NECC provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
Use NECCUM to attend private-college classes at NECC's tuition rate
Northern Essex belongs to NECCUM, a consortium of 11 colleges and universities in Northeast Massachusetts that lets NECC students take courses at member institutions - including private schools - while paying only NECC's tuition rate. Applicants planning a specific transfer major should ask an advisor which NECCUM partner offers relevant upper-level or specialized coursework early, and build that cross-registration into a degree plan from semester one rather than discovering the option after enrolling.
Take the TEAS at NECC's own testing center, not elsewhere
Nursing admission requires the TEAS exam, and NECC's own criteria packets specify it can only be taken at NECC's Academic Placement and Testing Center on the Haverhill or Lawrence campus (or remotely if proctored by ATI or an NECC-approved proctor for the certificate track) - outside scores from other institutions aren't accepted for most tracks. Applicants should also register for HES 102 (Learning Strategies for Success in Health Care Careers) and earn a "C" or better, since it's a hard admission requirement, not just a recommended course.
Understand nursing is genuinely competitive despite open general admission
Unlike NECC's open-door general admission, the Nursing Program explicitly states there are more qualified applicants than seats, and admission runs on a rolling basis where the program and its primary waitlist can fill quickly - once full, NECC continues accepting applications only to build an extended waitlist. Applicants should meet with a Center for Health Professions advisor as early as possible (the process opens around the 4th Monday of September for some cycles) rather than treating nursing admission as a formality once general admission is secured.
Use the Lawrence campus specifically for practical nursing coursework
Practical Nursing (PN) coursework is held on the Lawrence campus only, with clinical placements randomly assigned across Methuen, Tewksbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, and North Andover sites - applicants should plan transportation and scheduling around this Lawrence-based structure specifically (the PN track is also an intense 10-month certificate with clinical hours scheduled Thursday/Friday 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), rather than assuming coursework will be available at the Haverhill campus.
Expert Insight:
The most common and costly assumption is that NECC's fully open general admission (no essay, no test scores required for the associate degree) means every program admits the same way - Nursing in particular is a separate, competitive, rolling-admission process where the seats and waitlist can fill before a student who delays their program-specific application even gets a slot, despite having been "accepted" to NECC itself months earlier.
NECC Profile
Full Name
Northern Essex Community College (NECC)
City
Haverhill
State
Massachusetts
ZIP Code
01830-2399
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a NECC Degree Worth It?
Whether NECC is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals — here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $64,400, and graduates see a 3.12% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from NECC Cost?
Listed tuition runs $11,921/year at NECC; factor in Pell and federal grant aid and most students land closer to $3,971.
At NECC, 33.1% receive a Pell Grant and 8.4% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming NECC on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a NECC Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, NECC graduates report a median income of $42,862, about 6% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Degree Programs at NECC
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About NECC Admissions
Northern Essex Community College graduates earn a lower median salary of $42,862/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at Northern Essex Community College is relatively affordable, around $11,921/year.
33.1% of Northern Essex Community College students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income — filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
Northern Essex Community College follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before March 1, 2026 — that's Northern Essex Community College's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out — plus a solid test score where the school considers one.
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