Northern Essex Community College (NECC) is proud of the quality of education and services we offer to our students:

• Over 15,000 individuals who can study full- or part-time
• A teaching faculty who concentrate their education, experience and effort in the classroom
• The skills needed when your education is completed to transfer successfully to baccalaureate programs, or become a part of the highly skilled business, industrial and professional work force for which New England is famous.

You will be able to study at Northern Essex at an extremely low cost. The average full-time student residing in Massachusetts spends approximately $1800 a semester for tuition and fees excluding insurance. Part-time study is comparably inexpensive. A number of financial aid sources are available to eligible students and we are committed to helping you find a way to afford Northern Essex.

NECC is a public, two-year college that offers comprehensive academic programs of study leading to the Associate in Arts degree, the Associate in Science degree and Certificates of program completion.

Our student body is a complex group:

• Many come here directly after high school, often from the top 25% of their class
• Others bring a variety of living and job experiences to their studies
• The average age ranges from 25 in the day to approximately 31 in the evening.
• Some take traditional college programs, planning to transfer to a four-year institution after graduation.
• Some are enrolled in associate degree or certificate programs leading to immediate employment in specialized career fields.
• Some take developmental courses to upgrade their academic backgrounds while pursuing a degree program.
• Others take individual courses, exploring alternatives before making more formal academic decisions.
• Others take special interest courses only.
• Large numbers of students are enrolled in nontraditional programs of study such as English as a second language courses, and certain training programs in special skills and high technology areas are designed to fit the unique training needs of individual groups of students or particular employers.

Excellent facilities, solid academic support services and a dynamic student activity program are part of the educational opportunities available at NECC. Flexible scheduling and the option of completing your degree or certificate at your own pace are hallmarks of a NECC education.

Our dedicated teaching faculty accept with enthusiasm the challenge of responding properly to the differing backgrounds of their students and, at the same time, directing and leading them toward broader understandings. Our faculty are deeply involved in the planning of each class and in the achievement of each student, and are equally dedicated to personal achievement. As well as the specialized academic opportunities and tutoring that the college provides for our students, our faculty have the time and the commitment to advise as well as instruct students, and to provide support and encouragement.

Annual Report to the Community 2012