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Emerson College

Boston, Massachusetts · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

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At a glance

Average net price
$49,180What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
51%
Graduation rate
78%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
3,870
In-state tuition
$57,056Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$57,056
SAT midpoint
1,300
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$62,832Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$49,180

Better than 1% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

78%

Better than 86% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$62,832

Better than 73% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$23,000

Better than 65% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$80,399

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$49,180

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Emerson College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time78%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return87%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$23,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$62,832

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Emerson College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Communication and Media Studies$44,10824
Marketing$41,65141
Journalism$39,70368
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$39,18319
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$33,44192
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$28,60644
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$27,032298
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$19,560102
Business/Commerce, GeneralNot reported50
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasNot reported11
Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesNot reported9
MusicNot reported2
Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationNot reported1
Graphic CommunicationsNot reportedNot reported

All 14 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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