
Milton, MAprivate nonprofitcurry.edu
Admit rate has ranged 80%–92% 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.
Curry College, a small liberal arts school in Milton, Massachusetts, offers a tight-knit, residential experience just outside Boston with a pragmatic twist—its career-focused programs, like accounting with a 98% placement rate, deliver real-world results. With an 88% acceptance rate and a student-faculty ratio of 11:1, Curry prioritizes accessibility and personalized attention, though its 48% graduation rate suggests challenges in retention. Campus life thrives with 85% of freshmen living on-site, but the $47,970 sticker price demands scrutiny despite robust financial aid.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Outcomes & value
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.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
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.
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.
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.
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.
Curry College’s admissions process is moderately difficult, with an 88% acceptance rate (per CollegeData and U.S. News), though some sources peg it as high as 92% (PrepScholar, Sallie). The school is test-optional, and while SAT ranges for admitted students fall between 943–1108 (25th–75th percentile), GPA requirements are less transparent—only a minimum 2.0 high school GPA is stipulated (Peterson’s). Notably, 81% of faculty hold terminal degrees, suggesting academic rigor despite the accessible admissions bar (Fast Facts).
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.
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.
Curry’s 28 undergraduate majors and 60+ minors/concentrations span liberal arts to career-ready fields like business and technology, with a curriculum designed for hands-on learning (Undergraduate Degrees, Academics). The School of Business and Technology touts ‘unmatched experiential opportunities’, though U.S. News notes a 64% freshman retention rate—below national averages—hinting at academic adjustment challenges. Small classes (11:1 student-faculty ratio) and a solid liberal arts core define the academic vibe, but niche programs like accounting shine with a 98% career placement rate (Accounting Program News).
Life at Curry is residential and communal: 85% of freshmen and 75% of all students live on campus across 17 residence halls (Living at Curry). The Student Center, dubbed the ‘hub of campus,’ pulses with events and ‘Purple Pride’ (YouTube). TikTok tours showcase a compact, leafy campus with an Academic Quad, while Niche reviews highlight mixed opinions on food and safety. The college emphasizes inclusivity, with a dedicated space to foster ‘equitable community’ (Student Center)—though specifics on Greek life or major traditions are scant.
Curry’s 48% graduation rate (College Scorecard) lags behind peers, with men graduating at just 41% (Research.com). Yet career outcomes vary sharply by program: accounting graduates boast a 98% placement rate, while median earnings one year post-graduation are $36,427 (Niche). The college promotes its ‘career-focused academics’ and proximity to Boston internships (Why Curry), but the data suggests outcomes hinge heavily on major choice.
At $47,970 in tuition/fees (U.S. News), Curry isn’t cheap, but financial aid softens the blow: the average aid package is $28,656, reducing Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. to $30,367 (BigFuture). One breakdown shows total costs hitting $75,578, with aid slashing the billed portion to $31,676 (Affordability). The net price calculator and scholarship options (Tuition and Financial Aid) are critical tools for families navigating this high-tag, high-aid landscape.
Curry’s niche strengths—like its accounting program’s near-perfect job placement—and intimate scale (11:1 student-faculty ratio) set it apart, as does its residential energy (85% freshmen on campus). But its high cost and middling graduation rate demand careful ROI calculation. For students seeking a small-college vibe with Boston access and pragmatic majors, Curry delivers—provided they tap into its standout programs and aid opportunities.