Emerson College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Emerson College

John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 3.0

Emerson College is a private college with an acceptance rate of 33%. Founded in 1880, Emerson is located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. Emerson College prides itself on its exclusive dedication to communication and the arts. The college has strong programs in theater, journalism, creative writing, and marketing. Emerson's professional programs are all grounded in the liberal arts, and the school has an impressive 14-to-1 student/faculty ratio. Campus facilities include two state-of-the-art radio stations, three theaters including the 1,200-seat Cutler Majestic Theatre, and numerous state-of-the-art labs and studios.

Considering applying to Emerson College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Emerson College had an acceptance rate of 33%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 33 students were admitted, making Emerson's admissions process competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 15,354
Percent Admitted 33%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 18%

SAT Scores and Requirements

Emerson College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may choose to submit SAT or ACT scores, or they may opt to submit an additional essay or portfolio related to their intended major. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 64% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 620 700
Math 590 710
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted SAT scores, most of Emerson's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Emerson scored between 620 and 700, while 25% scored below 620 and 25% scored above 700. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 590 and 710, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 710. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1410 or higher is competitive for Emerson.

Requirements

Note that Emerson does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, Emerson does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that Emerson participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Emerson College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may choose to submit SAT or ACT scores, or they may opt to submit an additional essay or portfolio related to their intended major. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 35% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 27 34
Math 24 29
Composite 27 31

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted ACT scores, most of Emerson's admitted students fall within the top 15% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Emerson received a composite ACT score between 27 and 31, while 25% scored above 31 and 25% scored below 27.

Requirements

Emerson does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Emerson does not require the optional ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Emerson superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

In 2018, the mean, unweighted high school GPA of Emerson College's incoming freshmen class was 3.72. This information suggests that most successful applicants to Emerson have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

Emerson College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
Emerson College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Emerson College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Emerson College, which accepts a third of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. However, Emerson also has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. Strong application essays and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Note that some programs at Emerson will have audition, interview, or portfolio requirements. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades are outside of Emerson's average range.

In the scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students, and you can see that most students who got into Emerson had high school averages of A- or better, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1200, and ACT composite scores above 25. Good grades and test scores, however, aren't all that is needed to get admitted to Emerson. If you look at the red (rejected students) and yellow (waitlisted students) on the graph, you'll see that some students with high grades and test scores were rejected.

If You Like Emerson College, You May Also Like These Schools

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Emerson College Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "Emerson College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/emerson-college-gpa-sat-act-data-786463. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 26). Emerson College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/emerson-college-gpa-sat-act-data-786463 Grove, Allen. "Emerson College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/emerson-college-gpa-sat-act-data-786463 (accessed March 29, 2024).