Key Takeaways:
- Emerson College, a private institution in downtown Boston, is known for its arts, communication, and liberal arts programs.
- Emerson College has 27 undergraduate majors, 30+ undergraduate minors, and 24 graduate programs and certificates in communications and the arts.
- Emerson College has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1–15:1, and more than 65% of classes have fewer than 20 students.
- There is a selective admissions process at Emerson, with a 43% acceptance rate. The graduation rate is 78%.
First-Rate, Flexible Liberal Arts Education From Emerson
Emerson College appears on our list of the 30 Best Colleges for Young Democrats.
Named the North’s 10th most innovative by the U.S. News & World Report, Emerson College is a private, nonprofit ProArts Consortium member in Boston that delivers 26 bachelor’s, 14 master’s, and five certificate programs, including four fully online, at a 13:1 learner-faculty ratio. For example, the BFA in Comedic Arts uniquely shapes a 128-credit, hands-on sequence directed by Prof. Martie Cook for undergrads to study the American Comedy Archives, perform with the Upright Citizens Brigade, and spend four weeks in London. Chaired by Dr. Charles Steinberg, the 128-credit BS in Sports Communication helps Lions find 15-week internships like the Boston Red Sox, semester in Los Angeles, join the eSports Team, use the Speech Lab, and pursue the 4+1 MA in Public Relations.
Online on Canvas, the MS in Digital Marketing & Data Analytics immerses Emerson College grads into a 32-credit curriculum headed by Dr. Nejem Raheem for 16 months of convenient 14-week, 500-level classes like Consumer Behavior and Social Media Engagement for 100 percent job placement. In Fall 2018, the Speech@Emerson Program led by Dr. Joanne Lasker brought the MS in Communication Disorders online for a 54-credit, 20-month track toward ASHA certification with two clinical intensives at 120+ partners, such as the Robbins Center or Boston Children’s Hospital.
Featured Programs
Other degrees include the BA in Business of Creative Enterprises, BA in Production, BFA in Film Art, BS in Political Communication, MA in Journalism, MFA in Creative Writing, and MA in Theatre Education.
About Emerson College
Emerson College originated in 1880 when author and Unitarian minister Charles W. Emerson opened the Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art for an inaugural class of 10. In 1881, Mr. Emerson renamed it the Monroe Conservatory of Oratory after his beloved BU professor/mentor. Nine years later, the Board voted to call it the Emerson College of Oratory. In 1908, President Henry Lawrence Southwick notably created its BFA in Acting and the Shakespearean Company. In 1919, Emerson launched the United States’ first degree for children’s musical theatre. In 1935, Emerson College started conferring the MS in Communication Disorders. In 1949, Emerson received a 10-watt licensed from the Federal Communications Commission to run WERS Radio. Accredited in 1950, Emerson College formed a special partnership with the Longy School of Music in 1954. By the 1960s, Emerson had relocated to the Theater District.
Endowed for $161.1 million, Emerson College now employs 454 faculty teaching 4,446 Lions from 50 states and 55 countries online, on Boston’s eight-acre Back Bay campus, or at the Los Angeles Complex with 150+ clubs like Generation Citizen. In 2016, Emerson accepted the AISC Presidential Award of Excellence. In 2019, Emerson College won the 36th Annual IALD Award of Excellence for its Student Dining Center. Emerson earned the Alliance for Quality Construction’s prestigious Q Award in 2014 too. Forbes placed Emerson College 226th overall with the 155th top private education. On Niche, Emerson boasts America’s 18th best film studies, 36th top performing arts program, and 41st best communications degrees. The Princeton Review crowned Emerson the #1 most LGBTQ-friendly school. Money magazine declared Emerson College the 588th top value for median $46,800 pay.
Emerson College Accreditation Details
On April 8, 2013, Emerson College began a comprehensive evaluation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) to extend the Level III accreditation through 2023 under its 12th president, Dr. Lee Pelton, who received the Ad Club’s Rosoff 20/20 Visionary Excellence Award. Located 17 miles up Interstate 93 in Burlington, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (MDHE). Further, the MS in Communication Disorders was reaffirmed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) through February 2021. Its Global BFA with the Paris College of Art was accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in April 2007.
Emerson College Application Requirements
Enrolling at Emerson College is classified “very difficult” by Peterson’s because only 4,613 of the 12,941 Fall 2018 applicants were triumphant for selective 36 percent acceptance. First-year Lions must verify the completion of an accredited high school or the GED equivalency diploma. Nearly all freshmen ranked in the upper half of their graduating classes. On average, admitted undergrads present a 3.72 unweighted GPA. The middle 50th percentile earn SAT scores of 610-690 for Reading and 590-700 for Math. Mid-range ACT composite scores are 27-31. Around 175 transfers are welcomed yearly with a median collegiate GPA of 3.4. The Honors Program requires maintaining a 3.3 GPA or better. English language learners must present at least 6.5 IETLS or 80 TOEFL iBT scores. On-campus and online master’s always require 120+ credits of accredited baccalaureate study. The MS in Communication Disorders has six prerequisites, including Phonetics, Language Acquisition, and Anatomy. Graduate programs strongly prefer candidates exceeding the 3.0 GPA and 300 GRE mark.
Emerson College set freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Action and January 15th for Regular Action. Undergrad transfers are welcome until March 15th for Fall or November 1st for Spring. Online MS in Communication Disorders cohorts must file by January 15th. The Online MS in Digital Marketing & Data Analytics lists priority dates of November 1st and March 1st. The MA in Public Relations closes on July 15th and December 1st each year. MFA in Writing for Film & Television students are only considered until May 1st. Accordingly, check program deadlines before completing the $65 Emerson or Common Application online. Forward official transcripts to 120 Boylston Street in Boston, MA 02116. If chosen, send test scores via SAT/GRE code 3367 or ACT code 1820. Fulfill supplemental requirements like the teacher reference, school counselor evaluation, mid-year report, 750-word essay response, resume, and creative sample. Contact (617) 824-8500 or admission@emerson.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Emerson College is charging full-time undergrads $24,280 each semester or $48,560 annually. Part-time bachelor’s students pay $1,517 per credit. Auditing courses costs $30 per credit. Residing at the Boston campus’ dorms like Paramount Center adds $8,700 to $9,450 for semester room and board. Health insurance is $2,051 per term unless waived. Undergrads cover the $872 services fee yearly. Emerson budgets $1,150 for textbooks and $2,700 for miscellaneous. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals $68,392 on-site and $51,070 if commuting. Graduate programs in Boston and online are $1,276 per credit. Full-time master’s majors spend $10,208 each term or $20,416 by year. Graduate service fees total $640.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid on the Tremont Street Building’s 4th Floor links 60 percent of full-time Emerson Lions to tuition assistance averaging $19,613 each for $44.52 million combined. Available programs include the Luminary Scholarship, Spotlight Scholarship, Next Step Scholarship, Miami Dade College Scholarship, Gateway Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, Alumni Encore Scholarship, Emerson Enhancement Fund Scholarship, Tony Coelho Media Scholarship, Aweber Developing Futures Scholarship, Leonard Perryman Scholarship, and Andrew Goldner Scholarship. The Trustees Scholarship gifts $25,000 annually to full-time Honors Program undergrads with minimum 3.3 GPAs. The $20,000 Elma Lewis Scholars Program selects 10 exemplary freshmen committed to community leadership each Fall. Massachusetts residents can claim the Public Service Grant, New England Direct Marketing Association Scholarship, Ralphine McGill-Coons Memorial Scholarship, MASS Grant, Horatio Alger Scholarship, and more. FAFSA forms coded 002146 also determine Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Work-Study, and Direct Loan eligibility.
Search through eight accredited departments housing 45+ liberal arts programs ranked 457th nationally by Times Higher Education at the Emerson College website.