Empire State University
About
Empire State University is a public institution located in Saratoga Springs, New York, founded in 1971. It offers over 123 online programs, emphasizing individualized instruction, flexible learning, and support for non-traditional students, including a significant focus on adult learners and military-affiliated individuals.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 102 Title IV programs, 27 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 75 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing27 · 26.5%
- No Data75 · 73.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 3
Action history · 12
- Sep 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Sep 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Apr 2024Grant Substantive Change: DegreeMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Jan 2022Grant Substantive Change: OtherMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: OtherMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 5,149 students received $24.8M in Pell grants, alongside $34.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,494 borrowers who entered repayment, 41 (1.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at Empire State
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- Public property2
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Empire State vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Empire State selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectEmpire State University | 41% | 81.1% | 10,469 | $11,147 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
American InterContinental University System | 6% | — | 11,277 | $14,449 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
American Public University System | 47% | — | 50,715 | $9,104 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Ashford University | 10% | — | 28,004 | $25,321 | Doctoral/Professional |
Aspen University | 27% | — | 3,511 | — | — |
Bellevue University | 33% | — | 14,667 | $28,345 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Capella University | 20% | — | 47,761 | $18,305 | Doctoral/Professional |
Cleary University | 38% | 67.5% | 1,004 | $21,019 | — |
Excelsior University | — | — | 12,941 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Franklin University | 3% | — | 9,457 | $22,605 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Grand Canyon University | 43% | 78.9% | 113,257 | $21,931 | Doctoral/Professional |
National American University-Rapid City | 0% | — | 903 | $22,086 | Doctoral/Professional |
National University | 50% | 54.5% | 22,115 | $31,058 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Northcentral University | — | — | 9,489 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
Post University | 24% | 96.5% | 16,178 | $19,196 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Thomas Edison State University | — | — | 7,544 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
University of Arkansas Grantham | 17% | — | 5,646 | $9,325 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
University of Maryland Global Campus | 20% | — | 63,012 | $14,514 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
University of Massachusetts Global | — | 92.9% | 8,996 | $31,601 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online | 23% | — | 1,478 | $14,106 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
Walden University | 0% | — | 49,441 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
| Peer group median | 23% | 80.0% | 11,277 | $20,108 |
Empire State Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
- Eileen McDonnellExecutive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning
- Mitchell S. Nesler, Ph.D.Vice President for Decision Support
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardsunyempire.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planEmpire State University Strategic Plan2025The Empire State University Strategic Plan aims to enhance student success through supportive academic and social experiences, prioritize academic and inclusive excellence by embracing diversity, and advance organizational effectiveness by fostering an inclusive climate and continuous improvement. The plan also focuses on raising the university's public profile by promoting its distinctive, flexible, and affordable educational offerings, and engaging with various stakeholders to expand awareness and support for its mission. Together, these strategic priorities seek to position the university as a national leader in high-quality, accessible education.sunyempire.edu
Frequently asked questions about Empire State University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Empire State.
What is the acceptance rate at Empire State University?
What is the graduation rate at Empire State University?
How many students attend Empire State University?
What is the average net price at Empire State University?
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Where is Empire State University located?
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