Regional university
#6 Best colleges for marketing in MassachusettsEmerson College
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $49,180 a year
Median debt at graduation: $23,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for marketing in America#65 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#136 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#124 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#118 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#213 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#184 of 1,481
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In Massachusetts
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.77%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,358 · ACT 30.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,023
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $80,399 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 4,171 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 34% · Women 66% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 13% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 82% |
| Total students | 5,670 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $49,180 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $80,399 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 77% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 78% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 79% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 78% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $62,832 |
| Admission rate | 51% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $65 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 16% |
| Average SAT | 1358 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 660–720 |
| SAT math | 610–700 |
| ACT composite | 29–32 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Marketing | |
| Journalism | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Public relations | |
| Communication studies | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Film and video | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Broadcasting, Business (general), Graphic communications, Music, Secondary education.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Communication | |
| English | |
| Business | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,920 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 16%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 32%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $45,147IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 62% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 3 miles away |
| Town population | 666,442Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 3 miles away |
| Typical weather | 30°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Boston Logan International Airport, MA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Emerson College’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 12% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Emerson College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $49,180 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Emerson College?
- Emerson College admitted 51% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Emerson College’s graduates do?
- 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $62,832; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 165662
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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