B
Good
Score: 64/100
Overall (traditional)
C+
Outcome Rating
63/100 · earnings-weighted

Emerson College

4-Year Private Non-Profit
📍 Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Emerson College campus, Boston, MA
Emerson College campus, Boston, MA. Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Outcomes
A
86/100
Affordability
F
16/100
Resources
B
69/100
Experience
A+
90/100
Prestige
B
62/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

5,670
Total Enrollment
79%
Graduation Rate
88%
Retention Rate
14.0:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
47%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Avg Net Price

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at Emerson College, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$62,832
Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$42,799
Median earnings 6 yrs after entry
$23,000
Median debt at graduation
77.1%
Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)
1,358
Average SAT
30
Median ACT
15.5%
Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 37% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 50th percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (MA wage index 1.29). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at Emerson College

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major1 yr after4 yrs aftervs. nationalRank (pay)Rank (wage-adj.)Median debt
Marketing$41,651$76,623+11%#105 of 516#263$21,500
Journalism$39,703$63,337+13%#26 of 187#84$23,610
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services—$61,496+4%#75 of 215#187$26,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$28,606$59,301-7%#114 of 178#162$23,719
Communication and Media Studies$44,108$59,202+5%#194 of 660#402$23,717
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$33,441$51,742+7%#51 of 137#79$23,776
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$27,032$49,951+14%#40 of 144#76$23,250
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies$39,183$49,381-11%#161 of 207#199$23,500
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$19,560$44,760+13%#54 of 255#134$25,000

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The Emerson College Town Property Report

  • Avg home value near campus: $1,341,949
  • Avg rent near campus: $3,585/mo
  • Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 02114 (3.8% cap, Boston)

Get the free 1-page report: rent-vs-dorm math, the 3 best nearby ZIPs by yield, and the “kiddie condo” strategy parents use.

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🏆 Where Emerson College Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

🥇
Drama and Dance Teacher Education
of 2 schools
#4
Publishing
of 5 schools
#11
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
of 100 schools
#11
Sports Communication
of 14 schools
#12
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
of 85 schools
#18
Creative Writing
of 70 schools
#21
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
of 39 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category In-State Out-of-State
Tuition $53,824 $53,824
Total Cost (On-Campus) $80,612 $80,612

Financial Aid

81%
Receive Any Aid
15%
Receive Pell Grants
50%
Take Out Loans
N/A
Avg Net Price

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Cinematography and Film/Video Production 470 grads/yr Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 326 grads/yr Creative Writing 228 grads/yr Marketing/Marketing Management, General 100 grads/yr Journalism 79 grads/yr Business/Commerce, General 68 grads/yr Drama and Dance Teacher Education 57 grads/yr Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 48 grads/yr Speech Communication and Rhetoric 43 grads/yr Publishing 39 grads/yr Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 34 grads/yr Sports Communication 30 grads/yr Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 24 grads/yr Political Communication 24 grads/yr Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 24 grads/yr Communication and Media Studies, Other 24 grads/yr Playwriting and Screenwriting 18 grads/yr Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 14 grads/yr Acting 14 grads/yr Musical Theatre 13 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from Emerson College's top programs commonly pursue.

Producers and directors
$83k/yr 167,000 jobs
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
$80k/yr 122,800 jobs
Film and video editors
$71k/yr 43,500 jobs
Camera operators, television, video, and film
$69k/yr 36,400 jobs
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
$106k/yr 289,600 jobs
Speech-language pathologists
$95k/yr 187,400 jobs
Postsecondary teachers, all other
$78k/yr 183,400 jobs
English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
$78k/yr 72,200 jobs

Student Demographics

5,670
Total Students
72%
Women
97%
Traditional Age (18-24)

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 54%
Hispanic 13%
Black 6%
Asian 5%
Two or More 5%
Non-Resident 14%

🏠 Living Arrangements

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 76%
Hybrid (Some Online) 11%
Fully Online 12%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 97%
25-64 (Adult) 1%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Emerson College?
Emerson College has an acceptance rate of 47%. This makes it a moderately selective institution with competitive admission standards.
How much does it cost to attend Emerson College?
Tuition at Emerson College is $53,824 for in-state students and $53,824 for out-of-state students .
What is the graduation rate at Emerson College?
The graduation rate at Emerson College is 79%. This is a solid graduation rate, showing that most students who enroll successfully complete their degrees.
Is Emerson College a good school?
Emerson College has a Repit College Score of 64/100 (Grade: B). Our rating evaluates five key factors:
  • Outcomes (A): Graduation and retention rates
  • Affordability (F): Net cost and financial aid access
  • Resources (B): Class sizes and selectivity
  • Experience (A+): Campus life and learning format
  • Prestige (B): Reputation and recognition
How many students attend Emerson College?
Emerson College has a total enrollment of 5,670 students. Most students (97%) are traditional college-age (18-24).

Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for Emerson College — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →

🎓 Similar Colleges to Emerson College

Compare with other 4-Year private non-profit institutions of similar size.

B
Clark University
Worcester, MA · 4,124 students
B
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA · 8,448 students
B
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA · 7,353 students
B
Bentley University
Waltham, MA · 5,264 students
C+
Simmons University
Boston, MA · 5,053 students
B
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA · 2,330 students

Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology