Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science

Paul Smiths, New York · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Rural

At a glance

Average net price: $26,683What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 77%
Graduation rate: 52%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 579
In-state tuition: $33,009Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $33,009
SAT midpoint: Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $46,145Median 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

$26,683

2/5

Better than 32% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

52%

2/5

Better than 38% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$46,145

2/5

Better than 26% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$22,750

4/5

Better than 67% 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

$51,506

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

Average net price

$26,683

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.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	52%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	75%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$22,750
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$46,145

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 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Forestry	$44,342	19
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	$41,863	22
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management	$35,979	19
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management	$34,321	3
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$33,398	8
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General	$33,333	6
Culinary Arts and Related Services	$31,506	12
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	$27,543	11
Biology, General	Not reported	8
Sustainability Studies	Not reported	5
Homeland Security	Not reported	5
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	Not reported	4
Psychology, General	Not reported	3
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other	Not reported	2
Hospitality Administration/Management	Not reported	2
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	Not reported	2
Communication and Media Studies	Not reported	Not reported
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other	Not reported	Not reported
Business Administration, Management and Operations	Not reported	Not reported
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	Not reported	Not reported

All 20 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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