Northern Essex Community College (NECC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

With a student body exceeding 6,000, Northern Essex Community College is quickly becoming one of the major post-secondary community learning institutions in the state of Massachusetts. This public, two-year college has two campuses: one located in Lawrence and the other in Haverhill. As a community college, Northern Essex offers programs leading to an Associate in Arts degree as well as an Associate in Science degree. Additionally, the college offers Certification programs in a variety of fields. For those who are considering later pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, the credits attained at Northern Essex Community College are transferable to many major regional four-year institutions. Northern Essex seeks to keep financial costs for students low, so as to give as many Massachusetts residents a chance to pursue a higher education as possible. The average student spends roughly $1000 a semester on the required tuition and fees for a full-time course enrollment.

Information Summary

Ranks 82nd in Massachusetts and 3120th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	49.3
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$6,536
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	17 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	56% / 40%
Enrollment Total (all students)	5,233

Academics

Northern Essex Community College offers more than 70 different academic programs to its matriculates. Among those offered , are an Associate of Science degree, an Associate of Arts degree, and Certificates for work in a variety of fields. There is a vast array of academic programs available for students to choose from, including: Dance, Accounting, Health, Education, and Computer Technology & Engineering. For those seeking to gain more expertise in a particular subject matter or to further their knowledge of a certain topic, Northern Essex Community College also offers numerous non-credit courses and programs. These are ideal for non-traditional students, who are seeking to further their learning or expand their skill-set, but who are not necessarily interested in pursuing a particular degree.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Unique Programs

Of the numerous unique extracurricular programs and publishing opportunities offered at Northern Essex Community College, the student-run literary magazine, Pamassus, is perhaps the most famous. Pamassus is published annually and displays the work of Northern Essex students in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and photography. The magazine has been nationally recognized and has won an array of awards in recent years. This past year, Pamassus won the 2009 Community College Humanities Association’s award for First Place in the Eastern Division. It was also a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press 2009 Pacemaker award.

Admissions

Northern Essex Community College has a unique admissions process. The school’s Enrollment Services Counselors seek to meet with potential matriculates in order to provide basic information and to answer any questions potential students may have about curriculum or financial aid issues. Weekly information sessions are held every Tuesday evening, at 6 pm, in the One-Stop Student Service Center (Haverhill Campus). These sessions are also available at the Lawrence Campus on Thursdays, at 5:30 pm. Students may pick up applications for enrollment at these sessions. While no standardized test scores are required, students seeking to attain an Associate’s degree must submit a copy of their high school transcript, diploma, or GED, along with their official application. Those who have transferrable college credits may also submit these transcripts at the same time. The fee for the application to Northern Essex Community College is $25.

Financial Aid

Northern Essex Community College offers a variety of resources and services to help students and potential students to find the best avenue through which to finance their education. The vast majority of all matriculates at the college do receive at least one form of financial aid to help with the costs of tuition, fees, and books. Any student who applies for financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships, receives a personal Financial Aid Counselor. This counselor then serves as a liaison for the student, helping with any questions that may arise as their financial situation evolves during their course of study. Northern Essex Community College also offers the Federal Work-Study program for students seeking to help pay for their education in exchange for collaborative work in the academic environment. Information and instructions for applying for the various types of available scholarships and grants can be found at the school’s official website, along with the necessary forms.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6846th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Massachusetts.

Athletics

The Scarlet Knights are a member of NJCAA.

Recognized regionally, the most popular team is the Northern Essex Knights baseball team, who were runners up in the 1998 Community College State Championships. Today the school continues to boast a great athletic program, particularly in baseball. Other sports that can be found here include:

Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Basketball
Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Cross_country
Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Golf
Men’s Intercollegiate Soccer
Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Softball
Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Table_tennis
Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Volleyball

Northern Essex Community College