Admit rate has ranged 48%–67% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Alfred University is a small, private university in rural western New York where artists, engineers, and free thinkers collide. With a 48-73% acceptance rate (sources vary), it's accessible yet selective, offering intimate class sizes and a 98% post-graduation employment rate. Known for its ceramics program and quirky traditions, Alfred blends rigorous academics with a tight-knit, creative community.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,423
In-state tuition
$41,500
Out-of-state tuition
$41,500
Housing
90% on-campus
Location
Alfred, NY
Acceptance Rate
48-73% (varies by source)
Notable Programs
Ceramics, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology
Student-Faculty Ratio
Not provided in sources
6-Year Graduation Rate
63%
Post-Grad Employment Rate
98%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$54,897
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.1×
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Graduation rate
57%
First-year retention
78%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
71%
Pell (lower-income) share
55%
First-generation share
25%
Endowment / student
$136,186
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Mechanical Engineering$60,523
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering$55,964
Communication and Media Studies$29,685
Criminal Justice and Corrections$29,685
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$29,685
Biology, General$28,960
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
0.70
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
94
Summer high
75°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
40.7"
Annual snow
51.6"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
145
Scholarly works
6,168
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.5%
Bottom → top quintile
23%
From bottom quintile
7%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Alfred University?
Alfred University's acceptance rate is approximately 74% (Alfred, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Alfred University?
Admitted students at Alfred University typically score 1095–1310 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Alfred University cost?
At Alfred University, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,620 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Alfred University?
Alfred University enrolls approximately 1,423 undergraduate students.
Where is Alfred University located?
Alfred University is located in Alfred, NY.
Admissions
Alfred University's admissions landscape is moderately selective, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. ranging from 48.29% to 73.8% depending on the source—a discrepancy likely due to varying reporting methodologies. The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years falls between 1110–1280, with a mean hovering around 1195. Notably, 49% of the 2020 incoming class were men and 51% women, reflecting near-gender parity. The university accepts the Common Application and maintains a Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy, appealing to students with diverse academic profiles.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$26,896
Marketing$22,667
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Academics
Alfred's academic identity thrives at the intersection of art and engineering. Its most popular majors include Fine/Studio Arts (particularly ceramics, for which it's nationally renowned), Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Business Administration. With 40+ undergraduate programs, students can explore niche offerings like Africana Studies or AI Literacy alongside traditional disciplines. The university emphasizes hands-on learning—a philosophy evident in its 99% graduate employment rate for Alfred State programs (a separate institution often conflated with Alfred University). Small class sizes foster close faculty mentorship, a hallmark of the Alfred experience.
Life at Alfred revolves around its rural campus—90% of students live in university housing, creating a self-contained community where traditions like the annual 'Hot Dog Day' festival thrive. The vibe is collaborative but spirited, with friendly rivalry between Alfred University and neighboring Alfred State College adding texture. Students fill their time with 50+ clubs, from ceramics guilds to robotics teams, while the walkable Village of Alfred offers coffee shops and galleries. Weekend activities lean toward DIY creativity: gallery openings, student theater productions, and hiking in the surrounding Finger Lakes region.
Alfred punches above its weight in career outcomes: 98% of graduates secure employment or enter graduate school within a year. The six-year graduation rate sits at 63%, with women graduating at higher rates (66%) than the overall average. Early-career earnings start modestly ($35,756 at one year post-graduation) but jump to $55,674 by year five—a 56% increase that suggests strong mid-career trajectory. These numbers reflect Alfred's emphasis on practical skills and its robust alumni network, particularly in arts and engineering fields.
With a sticker price of $43,570 for tuition and fees, Alfred mitigates costs through generous aid—100% of undergraduates receive merit scholarships, and the average financial aid package totals $38,342. This brings the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. down to $26,127 for most students. The university awards $23 million annually in grants and scholarships, with aid decisions made on a rolling basis starting November 15. Notably, Alfred meets 76% of demonstrated financial need, making it relatively accessible for a private institution.
Alfred University defies easy categorization—it's where kilns hum beside robotics labs, and where a 58% six-year graduation rate belies extraordinary career outcomes. Its ceramics program is legendary (alums include MacArthur 'genius grant' winners), while its engineering graduates quietly fill ranks at firms like Corning and Lockheed Martin. The campus culture prizes eccentricity: students might spend mornings debating philosophy in a 19th-century castle (yes, Alfred has one) and afternoons sledding down hills on cafeteria trays. This is a school for students who want rigorous training but refuse to be pigeonholed—where future CEOs minor in poetry and sculptors take thermodynamics.
Alfred University logo · sourceAlfred University | Outside of Ordinary · sourceAlfred at a Glance | Alfred University · sourceAlfred University | Campus Tour with Ben Buess · source
