Emerson College

www.emerson.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$50,360

1.66% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$48,842

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

1.5%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

45.3%

11,568 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

5,900

90.5% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

78.8%

720 Graduates

About

Emerson College is a higher education institution located in Suffolk County, MA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Emerson College were Cinematography & Film Production (355 degrees awarded), Creative Writing (133 degrees), and Journalism (114 degrees).

In 2021, 1,463 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Emerson College. 66.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 33.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (890 degrees), 4.61 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (193 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Emerson College is $50,360, which is $27,176 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Emerson College is $50,360, which is $27,176 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $48,842.

In 2021, 76% of undergraduate students attending Emerson College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 47% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$50,360

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Emerson College was $50,360. The cost of tuition at Emerson College is $27,176 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Emerson College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$48,842

2021 Value

2.62%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Emerson College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $48,842. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Emerson College grew by 2.62%.

This chart compares the average net price of Emerson College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$17,709

Room and Board

$1,200

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Emerson College was of $17,709 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 3.71% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,200. The cost of books and supplies increased by 4.35% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Emerson College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

76%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

47%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

76% of undergraduate students at Emerson College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 7.04% with respect to 2020, when 71% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Emerson College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.5%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Emerson College was 1.5%, which represents 14 out of the 933 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Emerson College received 11,568 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 13.2% annual growth. Out of those 11,568 applicants, 5,238 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 45.3% acceptance rate.

There were 5,900 students enrolled at Emerson College in 2021. 28% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Emerson College has an overall enrollment yield of 20.2%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

45.3%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

5,238

Accepted Out of 11,568

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Emerson College was 45.3% (5,238 admissions from 11,568 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 41%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 13.2%, while admissions declined by −4.24%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Emerson College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

28%

Submission Percentage (2021)

294

Scores Submitted (2021)

28% of enrolled first-time students at Emerson College in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Emerson College had a total enrollment of 5,900 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Emerson College is 5,338 students and the part-time enrollment is 562. This means that 90.5% of students enrolled at Emerson College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Emerson College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 55.7% White, 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.53% Black or African American, 5.46% Asian, 4.03% Two or More Races, 0.136% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.102% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Emerson College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (35.2%), followed by White Male (21.3%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (7.7%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (47.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (16.7%) and White Male (7%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

90.5%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Emerson College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 5,900 students. The full-time enrollment at Emerson College is 5,338 and the part-time enrollment is 562. This means that 90.5% of students enrolled at Emerson College are enrolled full-time compared with 68.3% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Emerson College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

87%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Emerson College was 87%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (73%), Emerson College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Emerson College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
3,286 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
829 enrolled students
Black or African American
326 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Emerson College is 55.7% White, 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 5.53% Black or African American, 5.46% Asian, 4.03% Two or More Races, 0.136% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.102% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 52% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.8% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 151 students (2.56%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 479 more women than men received degrees from Emerson College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Emerson College is white (890 degrees awarded). There were 4.61 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (193 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Emerson College is Cinematography & Film Production (355 degrees awarded), followed by Creative Writing (133 degrees) and Journalism (114 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Emerson College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are English (208 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (502 degrees), and Communications (318 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Emerson College are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,844,900 people), Secondary school teachers (519,119 people), Education administrators (331,809 people), Other managers (325,368 people), and Postsecondary teachers (248,639 people).

The most specialized majors at Emerson College in 2021 are English (208 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (502 degrees), Communications (318 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (35 degrees), and EDUCATION. (68 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Emerson College are Surgeons, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Physicians, Nurse anesthetists, and Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

The most specialized majors at Emerson College are English (208 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (502 degrees), Communications (318 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (35 degrees), and EDUCATION. (68 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Emerson College are Elementary & secondary schools (3,187,908 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (573,917 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (304,508 people), Computer Systems Design (261,996 people), and Legal services (159,677 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Emerson College.

Most Common (2021)

Cinematography & Film Production
355 degrees awarded
Creative Writing
133 degrees awarded
Journalism
114 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Emerson College was Cinematography & Film Production with 355 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Emerson College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

492

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

971

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 492 degrees were awarded to men at Emerson College, which is 0.507 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (971).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Emerson College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 202 degrees were awarded to men at Emerson College in Cinematography & Film Production, which is 1.32 times more than the 153 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 153 degrees were awarded to men at Emerson College in Creative Writing, which is 2.78 times more than the 55 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

79%

100% Completion Time

82%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 79% of students graduating from Emerson College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 82% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 82% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (83.4%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Emerson College is Female and White (83.4% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 11.4% of graduates (82 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
890 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
193 degrees awarded
Asian
64 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Emerson College is white (890 degrees awarded). There were 4.61 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (193 degrees).

4.03% of degree recipients (59 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
567 degrees awarded
White Male
323 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
130 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Emerson College is white female (567 degrees awarded). There were 1.76 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (323 degrees).

Operations

Emerson College has an endowment valued at nearly $260M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 62.4M (24.1%) compared to the 13.1% average return (6.61M on 50.4M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2021, Emerson College had a total salary expenditure of 218M. Emerson College employs 73 Associate professors, 55 Lecturers and 53 Assistant professors. Most academics at Emerson College are Male Associate professor (43), Female Lecturer (31), and Female Assistant professor (31).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Emerson College are: Management, with 205 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 90 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 56 employees.

Endowment

$260M

2021 Endowment

41.6%

growth from 2020

Emerson College has an endowment valued at about $260M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Emerson College grew 41.6% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $209M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Emerson College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$5.88M - Federal
$168k - State
$15k - Local

As of 2021, Emerson College received $5.88M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $168k from state grants and contracts, and $15k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$88.6M

2021 Salaries

3.26%

growth from 2020

In 2021, Emerson College paid a median of $88.6M in salaries, which represents 40.6% of their overall expenditure ($218M) and a 3.26% growth from the previous year.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 35.1M (41.3% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$21M

Instructional Salaries

224

Number of Employees

In 2021, Emerson College paid a total of $21M to 224 employees working as instructors, which represents 23.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11M (31.3%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

73 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

205 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Emerson College were Associate professor with 73 employees, Lecturer with 55 employees, and Assistant professor with 53 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Emerson College were Management with 205 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 90 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 56 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Associate professor
Female Lecturer
Female Assistant professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Emerson College was Male Associate professor with 43 employees, Female Lecturer with 31 employees, and Female Assistant professor with 31 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Emerson College.