

Boston, MAprivate nonprofitfisher.edu
Admit rate has ranged 69%–78% 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.
Fisher College is a small, accessible liberal arts college in the heart of Boston, known for its practical, career-focused programs in business, education, and human services. With an acceptance rate hovering around 70%, it attracts a diverse student body seeking an urban campus experience with strong support systems. While graduation rates lag behind national averages, its Boston location provides ample internship and networking opportunities.
Test-blind — scores not considered
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
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by 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.
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.
Fisher College maintains a moderately selective admissions process with an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. around 70%, making it accessible to a broad range of students. Accepted applicants typically have SAT scores between 865–1120 or ACT scores between 14–22, though the college emphasizes a Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone. process beyond test scores. Online and graduate applicants should contact the GPS Admissions Office directly for program-specific requirements. The admissions team evaluates completed applications, with no explicit early admission policy noted.
Fisher offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, with a curriculum leaning heavily toward career-ready fields. The most popular majors include Business (39 graduates), Human Services (26 graduates), and . Programs are designed for flexibility, with options for on-campus, hybrid, and online learning. The college emphasizes practical skills and student success, though its academic offerings are narrower than larger universities—focusing primarily on education, business, and healthcare at the graduate level.
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.
Life at Fisher revolves around its urban Boston setting, with students taking advantage of the city’s internships and cultural offerings. On campus, nearly 50 student organizations—ranging from academic clubs to social groups—host events like the annual Club and Majors Fair to foster community. Housing includes single, double, or triple rooms with shared common spaces. The Office of Student Engagement and Student Government Association (SGA) actively organize activities, though the small size means fewer niche clubs compared to larger schools.
Graduation rates at Fisher are below national averages, with a 28% total cohort graduation rate and a 31% six-year rate for bachelor’s students. Alumni report median earnings of $36,427 one year post-graduation, slightly below the national median. Pell Grant recipients graduate at a lower rate (26%) than non-recipients (36%), suggesting socioeconomic disparities in outcomes. However, the college’s Boston location may offer networking advantages for job seekers in fields like business and education.
Fisher provides a Net Price Calculator to estimate costs after aid, which includes merit scholarships and need-based grants. While specific tuition figures aren’t disclosed in the sources, the college emphasizes affordability through financial aid packages. Need-based awards are available, though families should note the lower graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients when evaluating return on investment.
Fisher’s prime Boston location sets it apart, offering students easy access to internships and city life—a rare perk for a small college. Its career-focused programs in business and human services cater to students seeking practical training, while the 70% acceptance rate makes it an attainable option for those with middling test scores. However, its low graduation rates and modest post-grad earnings suggest students may need to proactively leverage its urban advantages to maximize outcomes.