Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Emerson College

Boston, Massachusetts·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·emerson.edu
6-yr Graduation
77%
+4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
5,263
peer median 5,298
Avg net price
$49,180
+$9.9k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
10,378
10,378 candidates competed
Admitted
5,325
51.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
828
15.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
77%+4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
71%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
77%
Full-time retention
87%

Pell equity

8.5pp gap
Pell recipients
70%106 of 151
Non-Pell (all)
78%605 of 771
Subsidized loan, no Pell
80%221 of 275
No Federal Aid
77%384 of 496

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 30 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 13 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
30
Passing
15
50.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
6.7% of portfolio
Fail rate
6.7%
+6.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

30programs
  • Passing15 · 50.0%
  • No Data13 · 43.3%
  • Failing2 · 6.7%

Severity spectrum

Critical
2
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
4
Safe
10
No data
13

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

17
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
-21.6%
$46,040 vs $58,761
Journalism
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
-17.8%
$48,294 vs $58,761
Publishing
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+4.3%
$61,304 vs $58,761
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+11.5%
$53,881 vs $48,304
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+14.2%
$56,485 vs $49,483
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+23.1%
$74,005 vs $60,112
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+23.9%
$57,493 vs $46,391
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+28.6%
$44,760 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Publishing
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+4.3%
+$2,543

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

13
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
107%
$60,150 debt · $56,485 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
83%
$61,688 debt · $74,005 earn
Publishing
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
74%
$45,556 debt · $61,304 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
71%
$41,000 debt · $57,493 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
56%
$25,250 debt · $44,760 earn
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
54%
$26,471 debt · $49,381 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
47%
$23,250 debt · $49,951 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
45%
$23,000 debt · $51,742 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1950Next review Jun 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  2. May 2022Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  3. Feb 2022Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  4. Aug 2018Approved for Distance Education
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  5. Sep 2013Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$32,650
$30–48k$32,621
$48–75k$41,927
$75–110k$46,252
$110k+$57,288

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$49,180
+$9,888vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $39,292
Federal loans
43.0%
In-state tuition
$57,056
Out-of-state
$57,056

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 800 students received $5.0M in Pell grants, alongside $50.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
800
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.0M
$5,015,605 total
Direct Loans
$50.2M
4,322 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$5.8M
1,246 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.1M
1,525 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$16.5M
839 loan awards
Parent PLUS$15.7M
419 loan awards
Grad PLUS$7.1M
293 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 933 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
933
Defaulted
14
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.8%
2017
2.5%
2018
3.2%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Emerson College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs33
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,709 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
61736.1%
02Health Professions
34620.2%
03Communication
26315.4%
04English Language
22913.4%
05Business
19111.2%
06Education
472.8%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
160.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
5,263
12-mo unduplicated
5,589
Undergraduate
4,040
Graduate
1,549

Gender split

Men
29%1,597
Women
71%3,992

Race / ethnicity composition

White
54.8%
Non-resident
15.0%
Hispanic
11.5%
Black
6.0%
Asian
5.7%
Two or more
5.0%
Unknown
1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
222
129 M · 93 W
Women athletes
41.9%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$3.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$35K
$39K
Head-coach salaries
$53K
$55K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Soccer
26 M · 22 W
$349K
Lacrosse
23 M · 16 W
$355K
Baseball
38 M · —
$298K
Basketball
19 M · 12 W
$394K
Volleyball
8 M · 13 W
$202K
Cross Country
9 M · 9 W
$42K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.11
29 offenses · 5,670 students

3-year trend

2.032 yrs ago3.061 yr ago5.11Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
59
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
15
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
4
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
12
Robbery
7
Fondling
4
Motor vehicle theft
4
Rape
1
Burglary
1

By location

29total
  • On campus5
  • Public property24

Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion3
  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs41
Liquor1109

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
233

Emerson College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Emerson College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectEmerson College
77%—5,263$49,180Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bentley University
87%45.1%5,333$37,930Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Merrimack College
70%70.0%5,862$37,927Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Endicott College
75%71.2%4,394$40,654Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Berklee College of Music
67%43.5%8,369$49,465Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Regis College
71%69.8%2,517$27,477Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median73%69.8%5,298$39,292

Institutions like Emerson College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Emerson College's comparison group.

IPEDS

Emerson College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Team
1 member
  • Genevieve Alelis
    Associate Director, Institutional Research

Frequently asked questions about Emerson College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Emerson College.

What is the graduation rate at Emerson College?

Emerson College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 77% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Emerson College?

Emerson College reports a total enrollment of 5,263 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Emerson College?

The average net price at Emerson College is $49,180 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Emerson College?

Emerson College's yield rate is 15.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Emerson College located?

Emerson College is located in Boston, Massachusetts 02116-4624.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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