Emerson College
Emerson College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Emerson College Featured Rankings
About Emerson College
According to Wikipedia, Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands . Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," the college offers more than three dozen degree and professional training programs specializing in the fields of arts and communication with a foundation in liberal arts studies. The college is one of the founding members of the ProArts Consortium, an association of six neighboring institutions in Boston dedicated to arts education at the collegiate level. Emerson is also notable for the college's namesake public opinion poll, Emerson College Polling.
Emerson College's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics For Marketing
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing And Design
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Digital Content Management
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
MS in Communication Disorders
- Required Credits: 16
- Completion Time: 20 months
- Format: Fully online
Emerson College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,092 | 51% | 87% | 80% | 1345 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Emerson College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $59,044 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $49,140 |
| 30K - 48K | $43,321 |
| 48K - 75K | $42,830 |
| 75K - 110K | $47,619 |
| 110K+ | $59,402 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Emerson College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Emerson College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $67,317 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Emerson College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,988 | 4,301 | 1,687 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Emerson College?
Emerson College is located at 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116-4624.
How Safe is Emerson College?
Relative to its enrollment, Emerson College has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of 0.02%. Boston has a violent crime rate of 0.63% and a property crime rate of 2.03%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Emerson College Known For?
Emerson College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
Emerson College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Emerson College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Emerson College ranks #132 in the U.S. and #363 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesEmerson College ranks #159 in the U.S. and #544 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesEmerson College ranks #256 in the U.S. and #845 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesEmerson College ranks #325 in the U.S. and #1175 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesEmerson College ranks #413 in the U.S. and #1753 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWho Are Emerson College's Most Influential Alumni?
Emerson College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Communications, and Social Work. Here are some of Emerson College's most famous alumni:
- David Cross
- An American stand-up comedian.
- Don Pardo
- An American announcer .
- Jay Leno
- An American television host and comedian.
- Steven Wright
- An American comedian.
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- An American filmmaker.
- Anaridis Rodriguez
- An American journalist.
- Mike Joy
- An American sports announcer.
- Henry Winkler
- An American actor, director and writer.
- Denis Leary
- An American actor and comedian.
- Paul Dini
- An American writer and comic creator.
- Suzan Johnson Cook
- An American clergy.
- M. Elizabeth Shellabarger
- A Nurse .
Who Are Emerson College's Most Influential Faculty?
Emerson College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Communications, and Social Work. Here are some of Emerson College's most famous faculty:
