Dix Hills, NYprivate forprofitwww.ftc.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 34%–72% 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.
Five Towns College is a small, private institution in Dix Hills, NY, laser-focused on the performing arts, media, and business. With an acceptance rate hovering around 54-73%, it attracts creatively driven students who thrive in its hands-on programs—think music performance, film production, and court reporting. The college’s tight-knit vibe, heavy financial aid support (95% of qualified students receive aid), and Long Island location make it a niche pick for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs.
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.
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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.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
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.
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.
Five Towns College 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 54% (per U.S. News) to 73.9% (PrepScholar), likely reflecting varying applicant pools. Test scores for admitted students typically fall between 800–1020 on the SAT or 14–19 on the ACT, though submissions of Advanced Placement credits are accepted. The gender distribution of applicants skews male, with 66.3% of the undergraduate student body identifying as male versus 33.7% female. Notably, 95% of qualified applicants receive some form of financial aid, softening the sticker price of attendance.
Five Towns College is a haven for creatives, with undergraduate programs laser-focused on music, media, and performing arts. Its standout offerings include:
The faculty is described as 'highly credentialed' and hands-on, with small class sizes fostering mentorship. Roughly 33 degrees are awarded annually in business and related fields, but the college’s identity is firmly rooted in its arts-centric curriculum.
With just 662 undergraduates (fall 2023), Five Towns College offers an intimate, almost conservatory-like atmosphere. The campus buzzes with performances, film screenings, and industry workshops, per its Instagram feed. Residence halls host a mix of 'diverse religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds,' and the Long Island location provides easy access to NYC’s arts scene. Student life revolves around creative collaboration—think jam sessions in practice rooms or editing suites—rather than Greek life or D1 sports.
Graduation rates are a mixed bag: 49% overall (bottom 35% nationally), with a 70% freshman retention rate that suggests students who stay past year one tend to persist. Alumni median earnings one year post-graduation are $36,427, slightly below the national average. However, the college shines in niche fields—its 2026 commencement honored 125 grads in programs like Court Reporting and Music Performance, fields where networking and portfolio matter more than raw salary data.
Tuition sits at $30,250 (U.S. News), but the college aggressively discounts: 95% of qualified students receive aid, with an average package of $14,093 (BigFuture). Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. averages $18,765 after grants, though some reports peg it higher ($23,005). The school administers $5M annually in private scholarships, targeting arts students who might otherwise balk at the $50K+ total Cost of attendanceThe full estimated yearly cost of a college: tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and other expenses, before any financial aid..
Five Towns College is not for everyone—its low graduation rates and niche focus demand self-motivated students. But for aspiring musicians, filmmakers, and court reporters, it offers rare advantages:
It’s a no-frills incubator for those who know exactly what they want to do—and just need the tools to do it.