Admit rate has ranged 70%–90% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Anna Maria College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in Paxton, Massachusetts, punches above its weight with career-focused programs in fire science, nursing, and criminal justice. With a 50% acceptance rate and a tight-knit campus where 95% of students report feeling safe, it delivers practical education with a community feel—though its 58% six-year graduation rate suggests some academic challenges. The college’s standout feature? A 95.2% employment rate for recent grads, proving its vocational programs hit the mark.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
906
In-state tuition
$44,571
Out-of-state tuition
$44,571
Location
Paxton, MA
Popular Majors
Fire Science, Nursing, Criminal Justice
Acceptance Rate
50%
2025 Employment Rate
95.2%
Student-Faculty Ratio
13:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
58%
Avg. Post-Grad Earnings (5 Yrs)
$36,427
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$46,651
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.6×
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
46%
First-year retention
60%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
58%
Pell (lower-income) share
53%
First-generation share
40%
Endowment / student
$1,684
Financial health
2.1 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Fire Protection$84,653
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$72,413
Criminal Justice and Corrections$44,971
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
1.10
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
87
Summer high
79°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
51.3"
Annual snow
48.6"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
18
Scholarly works
179
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.7%
Bottom → top quintile
34%
From bottom quintile
5%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Anna Maria College?
Anna Maria College's acceptance rate is approximately 50% (Paxton, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Anna Maria College cost?
At Anna Maria College, the average net price (after aid) is about $28,333 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Anna Maria College?
Anna Maria College enrolls approximately 906 undergraduate students.
Where is Anna Maria College located?
Anna Maria College is located in Paxton, MA.
Admissions
Anna Maria College admits roughly half its applicants, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. fluctuating between 50% (per U.S. News) and 89.6% (per PrepScholar), likely reflecting variations in reporting thresholds or applicant pools. The college has experimented with Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policies, though admitted students typically submit SAT scores between 780–990 or ACT scores of 14–19. Rolling admissions mean there’s no hard deadline, and the gender split skews male (62% of undergraduates).
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Anna Maria blends liberal arts with career prep, boasting a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and popular majors like fire science (64 grads in 2024), nursing (26 grads), and criminal justice (35 grads). Its 5th Year Master’s Programs let students earn two degrees in five years, though retention rates lag at 60%. The curriculum emphasizes 'community-oriented professions,' with nursing graduates seeing an 88% completion rate—a bright spot in an otherwise mixed academic profile.
With just 995 undergraduates (fall 2023), Anna Maria fosters a close-knit vibe where 95% of students report feeling 'extremely safe.' Campus life revolves around clubs, ministry programs, and career services—think small-scale events rather than Big Ten football. The college actively promotes a 'respect'-based culture, though its rural Paxton location (population ~5,000) means off-campus excitement requires a drive to Worcester or Boston.
The Class of 2025 achieved a stellar 95.2% employment rate, validating Anna Maria’s career-prep focus. But long-term metrics are weaker: six-year graduation rates sit at 58%, and median earnings five years post-grad are $36,427—below the national average. Fire science and nursing grads likely pull these numbers up, while liberal arts majors may struggle; the college doesn’t publish discipline-specific earnings data.
Tuition runs $28,732 after average aid packages of $29,751—a near-full discount for many students. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator suggests most attendees pay far below sticker price, though the college’s 23/100 financial resilience score (per IBEX Insights) raises questions about long-term stability. For vocational students, the ROI may justify costs; liberal arts majors should scrutinize earnings data.
Anna Maria’s fire science program—one of the few in New England—and its nursing pipeline deliver exceptional job placement (95.2% employed). The college’s small size and Catholic identity create a supportive environment, albeit one with limited resources. It’s a trade-off: students sacrifice prestige and campus buzz for hands-on training in high-demand fields. For those prioritizing employability over ivy-covered walls, it’s a pragmatic choice.
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