Boston, MA · Private · 3,870 undergraduates · urban
Emerson College
Selective
Emerson is a specialist institution for students who already know they want to work in communication, media, writing or the performing arts.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in academic standing, and solid in student experience.- Admission
- 47.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 79.4%
11,092 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$62,832 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Emerson College apart
Academic design
The curriculum centers on journalism, film and media, marketing communication, writing and publishing, theatre, comedy and related creative fields, with project work pervasive.
Campus pattern
Its downtown Boston campus sits directly in the Theatre District, so the surrounding city functions as part of the classroom and social scene.
Career & value signal
Few colleges concentrate this many communication and performance disciplines in one place, creating a dense peer network of writers, makers and performers.
Can I get in?
47.5% admitted
Applicants to many performing-arts and other creative programs should review program-specific audition, interview or portfolio requirements before submitting the general application.
Recent applicant pool
11,092About 47 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 20% submitted an SAT, and 7% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Emerson College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Emerson College weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The curriculum centers on journalism, film and media, marketing communication, writing and publishing, theatre, comedy and related creative fields, with project work pervasive.
Make institutional fit specific
Emerson is a specialist institution for students who already know they want to work in communication, media, writing or the performing arts.
Use the application route carefully
Applicants to many performing-arts and other creative programs should review program-specific audition, interview or portfolio requirements before submitting the general application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Applicants to many performing-arts and other creative programs should review program-specific audition, interview or portfolio requirements before submitting the general application.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
Emerson College publishes two merit awards, the largest reaching $20,000 a year or more. one require a separate scholarship application. one renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive
Through the honors college · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year · Has a dated deadline
In the season card
These two awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the date one of them closes - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- The deadline
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Emerson College
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Admits separately
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Admits separately
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Journalism
Admits separately
Business/Commerce, General
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Emerson College beyond the classroom
Its downtown Boston campus sits directly in the Theatre District, so the surrounding city functions as part of the classroom and social scene.
A defining academic feature
The curriculum centers on journalism, film and media, marketing communication, writing and publishing, theatre, comedy and related creative fields, with project work pervasive.
What shapes an ordinary week
Its downtown Boston campus sits directly in the Theatre District, so the surrounding city functions as part of the classroom and social scene.
Where the degree can lead
Few colleges concentrate this many communication and performance disciplines in one place, creating a dense peer network of writers, makers and performers.