Excelsior University
About
Excelsior University is a private online university in Albany, New York. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and comprises two schools: the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It serves mostly non-traditional, adult working students through distance education programs.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 82 Title IV programs, 26 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 56 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing26 · 31.7%
- No Data56 · 68.3%
- 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 · 5
Action history · 11
- Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- May 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
- Jun 2022Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 3,696 students received $13.4M in Pell grants, alongside $30.2M 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 2,026 borrowers who entered repayment, 20 (0.9%) 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 Excelsior
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
- Non-campus6
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.
Excelsior vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Excelsior 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectExcelsior University | — | — | 12,941 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
American Public University System | 47% | — | 50,715 | $9,104 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion | 0% | 66.7% | 72,994 | — | R2 Research |
Ashford University | 10% | — | 28,004 | $25,321 | Doctoral/Professional |
Capella University | 20% | — | 47,761 | $18,305 | Doctoral/Professional |
Chamberlain University-Illinois | 42% | 82.6% | 32,944 | $26,933 | — |
Columbia Southern University | 26% | — | 17,763 | $14,975 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Empire State University | 36% | 81.1% | 10,469 | $11,147 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Grand Canyon University | 43% | 78.9% | 113,257 | $21,931 | Doctoral/Professional |
Liberty University | 67% | 99.0% | 104,327 | $29,552 | Doctoral/Professional |
National University | 50% | 54.5% | 22,115 | $31,058 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Purdue University Global | 33% | — | 45,588 | $12,267 | Doctoral/Professional |
Southern New Hampshire University | 44% | 99.5% | 189,531 | $33,742 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Strayer University-Global Region | 8% | — | 12,098 | $18,918 | — |
Thomas Edison State University | — | — | 7,544 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
University of Maryland Global Campus | 20% | — | 63,012 | $14,514 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
University of Phoenix-Arizona | 16% | — | 111,248 | $13,571 | Doctoral/Professional |
Walden University | 0% | — | 49,441 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
Western Governors University | 46% | — | 210,208 | $10,442 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| Peer group median | 33% | 81.1% | 47,761 | $18,305 |
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planExcelsior University Strategic Direction2026Excelsior University's strategic plan for 2026-2028 focuses on expanding its academic offerings and geographic presence through the creation of market-driven programs and partnerships. The university aims to leverage technology and deepen community collaborations to enhance the student experience and address global workforce demands. Key initiatives include expanding nursing programs, launching a School of Mental Health, and integrating advanced technologies to innovate education delivery, all while fostering an inclusive community with reduced barriers to entry and completion.excelsior.edu
Frequently asked questions about Excelsior University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Excelsior.
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