Emerson College

Boston, MA · Private Nonprofit

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47.5%
Acceptance Rate
1340
Median SAT
$62,832
Median Earnings
11,092
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Up 11.8 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Marketing $44,327
$8,056 $78,896
Journalism $38,953
$8,056 $78,896
Public Relations, Advertising,... $38,289
$8,056 $78,896
Teacher Education and Professi... $35,600
$8,056 $78,896
Radio, Television, and Digital... $32,264
$8,056 $78,896
Rhetoric and Composition/Writi... $32,021
$8,056 $78,896
Film/Video and Photographic Ar... $29,081
$8,056 $78,896
Communication and Media Studie... $28,212
$8,056 $78,896
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 11,092 5,267 47.5% 18.9%
2022 12,109 5,176 42.8% 19.4%
2021 11,568 5,238 45.3% 20.2%
2020 13,326 5,470 41.0% 17.2%
2019 15,353 5,120 33.4% 18.4%
2018 12,941 4,612 35.6% 20.0%
2017 10,360 4,772 46.1% 19.5%
2016 9,149 4,397 48.1% 20.0%
2015 8,618 4,225 49.0% 21.7%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$62,832
Median Earnings (6 years)
$42,799
Median Debt
$23,000
6-Year Graduation Rate
79.3%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

Tuition
$50,240
Fees
$908
Room & Board
$18,768
Total Cost of Attendance
$69,916

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $31,412
$30-48k income $34,742
$48-75k income $39,297
$75-110k income $43,628
$110k+ income $55,833

Popular Majors

  • 1 Film/Video and Photographic Arts
  • 2 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
  • 3 Journalism
  • 4 Business/Commerce, General
  • 5 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Highest Earning Majors

  • Marketing $44,327
  • Journalism $38,953
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication $38,289
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas $35,600
  • Radio, Television, and Digital Communication $32,264

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 5,670
International 14%
Women 72%
Race/Ethnicity
White 54%
Hispanic 13%
Black 6%
Asian 5%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 77%
Avg: $25,467 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 15%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 47%
Avg: $6,459
School's Own Grants 78%
Avg: $25,212 from school funds