Norman Langlois, Founder of Empire Beauty Schools | Facebook
Norman Langlois, Founder of Empire Beauty Schools | Facebook
Of the eight institutions in the county, four provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including New England College, Southern New Hampshire University and Colby-Sawyer College.
At least 44,208 people applied to Merrimack County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 172,262 students enrolled in the universities, including 146,921 in undergraduate and 25,341 in graduate programs. In total 13.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (50.8%) and Black or African American (15.5%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Southern New Hampshire University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 164,091 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce School of Law in Merrimack County.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby-Sawyer College | 1,751 | 1,366 | 943 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | 35,992 | 34,552 | 164,091 |
| University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce School of Law | -- | -- | -- |
| Empire Beauty School-Hooksett | -- | -- | 273 |
| New England College | 6,416 | 6,416 | 2,852 |
| University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online | -- | -- | 1,425 |
| NHTI-Concord's Community College | -- | -- | 2,619 |
| Magdalen College | 49 | 48 | 59 |
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