
East Stroudsburg, PApublicesu.edu
Admit rate has ranged 85%–94% 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.
East Stroudsburg University, nestled in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, is a public institution with an open-arms admissions policy (86% acceptance rate) and a focus on practical, career-ready programs like education, business, and criminal justice. While its 44% six-year graduation rate lags behind national averages, ESU compensates with affordability—96% of first-year students receive aid—and a tight-knit campus culture that prioritizes inclusivity and outdoor recreation.
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.
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Outcomes & value
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.
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.
ESU is decidedly non-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 86% to 92% across sources. The university is test-optional and accepts the Common Application. Admitted students typically have ACT scores between 19-25 or SAT scores of 1010-1180, though only 11% of enrollees submit SAT scores. The student body is overwhelmingly local: 81.7% hail from Pennsylvania.
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.
ESU offers 59 undergraduate and 22 graduate programs across four colleges, with a 24:1 student-faculty ratio. The most popular majors reflect its vocational bent:
The university emphasizes education degrees, including dual certification programs in Special Education and Secondary Education. Course catalogs show a heavy emphasis on applied fields like Athletic Training and Accounting rather than liberal arts.
Life at ESU revolves around its Pocono Mountains setting and inclusivity initiatives. Key characteristics:
US News notes the campus is not a party school—the surrounding town offers limited nightlife.
Graduation rates are below national averages, but early-career earnings align with expectations for a regional public university:
Data suggests ESU serves a commuter-heavy population that may take longer to complete degrees, with outcomes typical for Pennsylvania state schools.
Affordability is ESU's strongest selling point:
The university's Net Price Calculator emphasizes aid availability, though typical packages ($7,458 average) cover only about half of tuition costs for in-state students.
ESU carves a niche as Pennsylvania's outdoor classroom—its Pocono location appeals to students seeking affordable degrees with easy access to hiking and skiing. While not academically rigorous (44% graduation rate), it delivers practical programs in education and criminal justice with unusually strong faculty accessibility (24:1 ratio). The campus culture prioritizes inclusivity, offering dedicated LGBTQ+ housing and multicultural programming. For in-state students, it's a low-risk, low-cost option with straightforward admissions.