Located in the heart of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, Emerson College is the United States' only four-year institution devoted exclusively to the study of communication and the arts. For over 130 years, Emerson has educated the most innovative and creative minds in our fields of expertise. Our hands-on, immersive programs provide you with the real-world experience, professional-grade facilities, and the foundational knowledge you need to hone your craft and succeed in fields and industries that shape our society, culture, and future.

To hear more about the Emerson community, check out our podcast, Inside Emerson at https://rss.com/podcasts/insideemerson/

Check Out Upcoming Events at Emerson College

Emerson College Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

See All Emerson College Rankings

Admissions

Application Deadline

January 17

Acceptance Rate

45%

SAT Range

1200-1400

ACT Range

28-32

Application Fee

$65

SAT/ACT

Considered but not required

High School GPA

Recommended

Accepts Common App

Yes

Cost

Net Price

$48,842 / year

National

$15,523

Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.

Average Total Aid Awarded

$25,433 / year

National

$7,535

Students Receiving Financial Aid

83%

Find Private Student Loans

Find College Scholarships

Explore Tuition & Cost Breakdown

Find college scholarships

Academics

Professors

Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.

Student Faculty Ratio

11:1

Evening Degree Programs

84%

of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes. 61 responses

56%

of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want. 75 responses

77%

of students agree that the workload is easy to manage. 75 responses

Majors

Student Life at Emerson

A vast amount of student organizations, activities, and events will play a large part in your student experience at Emerson. Organizations on campus include dance groups, comedy troupes, film collaborations, theatre troupes, Greek life, a highly-respected radio station and polling society, literary journals, intercultural and spiritual groups, and so much more. Discover your Emerson experience.

Learn More

Online

Programs Offered Entirely Online

Offers Online Courses

Yes

Online Certificate Programs

Online Associates Programs

Online Bachelor's Programs

Explore All Online Majors

Mix of Online and on Campus
8%
On Campus
92%
Online
0%

Students

Full-Time Enrollment

4,053 Undergrads

Part-Time Undergrads

Undergrads Over 25

Pell Grant

14%

Varsity Athletes

Poll

What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?

Based on 49 responses

Ambitious
29%
Driven
18%
Quirky
16%
#SoEmerson
10%
Wannabe Tortured Artists
10%
People who have interests but can be unmotivated
8%
Emerson
4%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus

80%

Take a Virtual Tour

Poll

64%

of students say Greek life is pretty low-key and has little effect on the social scene. 86 responses

Poll

66%

of students say no one pays attention to varsity sports. 108 responses

Poll

What one word or phrase best describes your school?

Based on 48 responses

Creative
33%
A place to be yourself and create art.
31%
#SoEmerson
21%
Passionate
10%
Home away from home
2%
Racist
2%
We're all crazy, but at least we got style
2%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation

$46,600 / year

National

$33,028

Graduation Rate

79%

National

49%

Employed 2 Years After Graduation

95%

National

83%

71%

of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation. 38 responses

Emerson College Reviews

1,141 reviews

Listen, Emerson has its issues, but it's a great school if you're interested in filmmaking, literature/writing, and theater. A lot of people usually transfer out of Emerson by the end of freshman year or spend their entire time at Emerson constantly wanting to transfer out. In the end, just don't come here with high expectations, and if you're not particularly good at making friends before coming here, you will most likely not thrive socially. That being said, there are many opportunities to keep you busy and working, so I recommend taking those. Also, I would try and look for an off-campus job because Emerson is expensive! It's Boston, so you have many options to choose from, I personally work at a music venue and really enjoy it!

Review Emerson College

Emerson College is a hub of students that are open-minded, hard-working, and endlessly creative. The students and professors are often friendly and accepting, and the campus being in the heart of Boston would be fun for any college student looking to explore a historical and buzzing city. The only real downside to Emerson in my experience has been the increasing cost of tuition. If you come here, make sure you're invested in a career that points toward the arts or communication to get your money's worth!

The main issues I have revolve around the lack of specialized courses, disordered residential life, and rising tuition rates. The academics are good overall, but I desperately wish Emerson offered more courses dedicated to animation as it is such an important film medium and what I am interested in, and I know I'm not alone. I also had trouble with unruly students my first year and didn't receive help from the Residential Directors, let alone a reply to my email. Moreover, the rising cost of tuition feels necessary as there were no valid reason to place responsibility on the students to pay more for their education, especially those who rely on financial aid and loans to afford such an education. If Emerson expects their students to pay a 4% increased tuition, then I expect them to actually listen to their students and provide whatever academic or residential needs they may ask for, within reason. If these issues were resolved, I would rate my experience at Emerson 5/5 stars.

Emerson College

Emerson College Rankings

Admissions

Will You Get Into Emerson?

Cost

Academics

Majors

Most Popular Majors

Student Life at Emerson

Online

Students

Campus Life

After College

Emerson College Reviews

Report Card

About

Upcoming Events

Emerson College Rankings

Admissions

Will You Get In?

Find Student Loans

YouTube Video

Cost

Scholarship

Academics

Majors

Most Popular Majors

Student Life at Emerson

Online

Students

Campus Life

Instagram Posts

After College

Emerson College Reviews

Add to List