Merrimack College Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Merrimack College Application Deadlines for Indian Students

Merrimack College runs two intakes each academic year: Fall (August/September start) and Spring (January start). Fall is the larger intake and carries the wider range of admission plans, including Early Decision, two Early Action rounds, Regular Decision, and a Rolling window. Rolling admission means applications are reviewed as they arrive until seats fill.

Indian applicants aiming for graduate study should target the Fall international deadline, which typically falls in early July. All dates below appear in India Standard Time (IST), sourced from the official Merrimack graduate admission information page and the undergraduate application process page.

Merrimack College’s primary intake for Indian students is Fall (August/September) — most programs open here.

Planning note: Early Decision is binding — you commit to enrol if admitted. Early Action I is non-binding and carries the same November deadline, so most Indian applicants pick Early Action I to preserve the option to compare offers.

Merrimack College Admission Eligibility for Indian Students

Merrimack College sets its academic and English-proficiency floors at the institutional level, though individual master’s programs may layer on subject prerequisites. Indian applicants should read the institution-wide floor first, then check the specific program page for anything extra.

Undergraduate academic floor:

• UG general entry: Completion of Class XII from a recognised board with around 65 percent or higher.
• Prerequisite subjects: Mathematics through Class XII for Computer Science, Data Science, and Engineering majors.
• Test-optional: SAT and ACT scores are not required and are not used in the review process.

Graduate academic floor:

• PG general entry: A recognised bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA, roughly Indian 65 percent.
• MBA and business master’s: No mandatory GMAT or GRE for most Girard School programs.
• STEM master’s: Bachelor’s in a related discipline (B.Tech, B.E., B.Sc. Computer Science or similar).

English proficiency floors accepted for both UG and PG:

Merrimack College IELTS Waiver for Indian Students

Indian applicants can request a waiver on the IELTS or TOEFL requirement through any of these routes:

• Grade C or higher in IGCSE O-Level English (accepted as proof of English medium of instruction).
• Grade C- or higher in a college-level course evaluated as equivalent to U.S. Intro to College Writing.
• Conditional admission: applicants who meet every requirement except English can enrol on the condition of completing English language training before starting the degree.

Insider note: Indian applicants from CBSE or ICSE English-medium schools do not automatically get a waiver — the officially accepted proof is IGCSE O-Level English at Grade C or above, or a documented college-level English course.

Merrimack College PG Programs for Indian Students

Merrimack College runs around 26 graduate programs across its five schools, plus a growing set of online master’s degrees. Indian applicants most commonly enter through the Girard School of Business and the School of Science & Engineering. Programs shown below use their institutional English floor unless the program page publishes a higher requirement.

Base tuition for graduate programs starts at USD 488 (INR 46,555) per credit hour for the Girard School MBA and ranges up to USD 750 (INR 71,550) per credit hour for standard master’s programs. A typical U.S. master’s runs 30 to 36 credits total. For the full course-wise fees breakdown, see the Merrimack College fees and programs page.

Note: Program-specific entry requirements, fees, and intake availability may differ from the institution-wide minimums shown above. Always confirm on the official Merrimack College graduate admission catalog for your chosen program before applying.

Merrimack College UG Programs for Indian Students

Merrimack College offers more than 100 undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations across its five schools. The tuition tier a program falls into can matter for Indian applicants — humanities and creative arts sit in a substantially lower tuition band than engineering and business majors.

UG base tuition follows a tiered structure: humanities, government, and creative arts sit at around USD 17,000 (INR 16.22 Lakhs) per year, architecture at USD 33,500 (INR 31.96 Lakhs) per year, and engineering, computer science, business, and other majors at USD 51,080 (INR 48.73 Lakhs) per year. A comprehensive fee of USD 4,772 (INR 4.55 Lakhs) applies to all majors.

Merrimack College MBA Admissions for Indian Students

The Merrimack College MBA is delivered by the Girard School of Business and is available in a flexible format that lets Indian applicants complete the program in 12 to 24 months. Coursework can be taken on the North Andover campus or fully online.

Entry requirements for Indian applicants:

• Academic: Recognised bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA (roughly 65 percent).
• Work experience: Not mandatory — the Girard MBA admits both fresh graduates and working professionals.
• GMAT or GRE: Not required for most applicants.
• English: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79, Duolingo 110, or PTE 56.

MBA base tuition at the Girard School is USD 488 (INR 46,555) per credit hour. A standard MBA of 36 credits works out to around USD 17,568 (INR 16.76 Lakhs) in total tuition. Master of Arts in Communication runs at USD 640 (INR 61,056) per credit hour.

Insider note: The Girard MBA offers rolling review — Indian applicants who complete their file early get faster I-20 turnaround, which matters because U.S. embassy F-1 slots in India fill quickly between April and July.

Merrimack College Application Process for Indian Students

The application flow differs between undergraduate and graduate applicants. Undergraduate applicants use the Common Application; graduate applicants use Merrimack’s own portal. Both are entirely online, and neither charges a fee.

Undergraduate application steps:

1. Create a Common Application account and add Merrimack College as a school on your list.
2. Complete the biographical, academic, and activity sections of the Common App.
3. Upload official Class XII transcripts (or Class XI if still in Class XII) translated to English.
4. Submit the Common Application School Report — no application fee is charged.
5. Upload IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, or PTE score report unless a waiver applies.
6. Track your application status on the Merrimack applicant portal after submission.

Graduate application steps:

1. Register a username and password on the Merrimack graduate application portal.
2. Select your intended master’s program and start a fresh application.
3. Upload official transcripts and any credential evaluation report (WES or ECE).
4. Upload your statement of purpose, resume, and letters of recommendation as specified by the program.
5. Upload IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE, or GTEC score report unless a waiver applies.
6. Submit the application — no application fee is charged for graduate programs.
7. Upload the Declaration of Finances form and notarized bank statement after admission.

Merrimack College Admission Decisions Timeline

Understanding the decision timeline helps Indian applicants line up the F-1 visa slot and remit the enrolment deposit within the deadline.

• Early Decision (Nov 15): Decisions released mid-December; enrolment deposit due January 15.
• Early Action I (Nov 15): Decisions released mid-December; enrolment deposit due May 1.
• Early Action II (Jan 15): Decisions released around February 1; enrolment deposit due May 1.
• Regular Decision (Feb 15): Decisions released weekly from March 1; rolling deposit timeline.
• Rolling admission: Reviewed as submitted, decisions typically within 4 to 6 weeks of file completion.
• Graduate programs: Reviewed on a rolling basis, with decisions usually within 3 to 5 weeks of a complete file.

Once admitted, Merrimack issues the Form I-20 (the Certificate of Eligibility that lets you apply for the F-1 student visa) after the Declaration of Finances and bank documentation are approved.

Merrimack College Documents Required for Indian Students

The paperwork stack below is what every Indian applicant needs to prepare. Get the credential evaluation started early — WES and ECE are the two credential evaluation services that convert Indian degrees into the U.S. GPA system, and their processing takes four to six weeks.

Undergraduate applicant paperwork:

• Completed Common Application form.
• Official Class X and Class XII mark sheets (English translation if in another language).
• Common Application School Report signed by your counsellor.
• English proficiency score report (IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, or PTE).
• Copy of passport bio page.
• Declaration of Finances form and notarized bank statement (submitted after admission).

Graduate applicant paperwork:

• Official bachelor’s degree transcripts and consolidated marks memo.
• Credential evaluation report from WES, ECE, SpanTran, or CED.
• Statement of purpose and updated CV.
• Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional).
• English proficiency score report.
• Copy of passport bio page.
• Declaration of Finances form and notarized bank statement dated within the last three months.

Note: Bank statements older than three months are rejected at the I-20 stage. Time your bank documentation so it stays fresh through the visa interview slot you plan to book.

Merrimack College Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Merrimack College publishes its admission data through the U.S. federal IPEDS reporting system. The most recent cycle shows an acceptance rate of around 70 percent, with roughly 14,070 applicants and 9,852 admits. That puts Merrimack in the moderately selective band — well above the acceptance rate of top-tier private universities but not open-access.

The Early Decision and Early Action pool sees a higher admit rate — historically close to 89 percent — because these applicants are typically stronger and more committed.

Merrimack’s admit profile for Indian students expects:

• Class XII score: 65 percent and above is competitive; 75 percent and above lifts scholarship consideration.
• Bachelor’s GPA (PG): 3.0 minimum; 3.3 average admit.
• English: IELTS 6.5 institutional floor; 7.0+ strengthens borderline files.

Merrimack sits at #45 in Regional Universities North (U.S. News) — see the full Merrimack College ranking band for global positioning.

USA Student Visa for Merrimack College

Indian students admitted to Merrimack apply for the F-1 visa, the U.S. non-immigrant visa for academic study. The visa process begins only after Merrimack issues the Form I-20, which follows the notarized financial documentation covering at least one academic year of tuition, fees, and living costs.

The core sequence: pay the SEVIS I-901 fee (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the U.S. government’s tracking system for international students), complete the DS-160 online non-immigrant visa application, book the F-1 visa interview slot at the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, or Hyderabad, and attend the interview with your I-20, financial proof, admission letter, and academic transcripts. Canadian citizens do not need the F-1 visa stamp but still need the I-20.

2026 update: U.S. consular F-1 slots in India remain in high demand between April and August. Indian applicants aiming for Fall 2027 should book the visa slot as soon as the I-20 arrives — typically within one week of Merrimack’s decision.