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Emerson College

Emerson College

Boston, MA · City · 3,870 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$49,180
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
78%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
54% typical
$62,832
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$55,177 typical
51%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
82% typical · not scored
Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education
About

Emerson College is a premier institution renowned for its exclusive focus on communication and the arts, offering top-tier, hands-on programs in film, journalism, performing arts, and creative writing. Situated in the heart of Boston's vibrant Theatre District, the campus culture is highly collaborative, passionate, and politically active, with students frequently launching their own media outlets, theatrical productions, and publications. What truly sets Emerson apart are its distinctive experiential learning hubs, most notably the Emerson Los Angeles program, which provides unparalleled internship access to the West Coast entertainment industry, and Kasteel Well, a restored 14th-century castle in the Netherlands used for study abroad.

Wikipedia:Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a school of oratory. The school offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as professional training, primarily focused on the arts and communication, grounded in a liberal arts framework. Emerson is a founding member of the ProArts Consortium, a collaborative association of six neighboring Boston-based institutions dedicated to collegiate-level arts education.

Location
Boston, MA, 02116-4624 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
BOS · Boston
3 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$57,056
Housing & food (on campus)$20,920
Books & supplies$1,250
Cost of attendance$88,292
Average net price$49,180
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$57,056
Housing & food (on campus)$20,920
Books & supplies$1,250
Cost of attendance$88,292
Average net price$49,180
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: emerson.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Emerson College’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$60,160
Fees$1,100
Housing$22,464
Books & supplies$1,256
Personal expenses$1,852
Transportation$1,460
Total of the above$88,292
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$32,650
$30–48k
$32,621
$48–75k
$41,927
$75–110k
$46,252
$110k+
$57,288
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
78%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
71%
Back for yr 2
87%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
78% graduated · 15% transferred · 7% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$42,799
10 yrs after entry$62,832
Debt
Median at graduation$23,000
Monthly payment$244
Middle 50% owe$12k–$27k
90th percentile$29,125
Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (larger programs): 54% graduate within 6 yrs, $55,177 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
51%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1358
R 660–720 · M 610–700
ACT midpoint
30
Comp 29–32 · E 29–35 · M 25–30
SAT middle 50%: 1270–1420
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Emerson College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 34%Women 66%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell grant
16%
First-gen
13%
Family income
$93,112
Independent
4%
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
1%
Race & ethnicity
White
55%
Hispanic
12%
Black
6%
Asian
6%
Two or more
5%
Non-resident
15%
Unknown
2%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division III without football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Lacrosse
    Men's · Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Tennis
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Men's · Women's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$42,799
After 10 yrs
$62,832
Film/Video and Photographic Arts298
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft102
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies92
Journalism68
Business/Commerce, General50
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication44
Marketing41
Communication and Media Studies24
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other19
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas11
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services9
Music2
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication1
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$265M
Full-time faculty
32%
Faculty salary
$11,853/mo
Teaching spend
$13,023
per student
Federal loans
43%
Classification
Carnegie type
Master's (larger programs)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

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