Admit rate has ranged 70%–78% over the last 5 years, though the latest figure above (69%) falls outside that window. 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.
Ithaca College is a private, mid-sized institution perched in the scenic Finger Lakes region, known for its distinctive, hands-on blend of liberal arts and pre-professional training. Its identity is split between a nationally recognized powerhouse for communications and media arts—producing a steady stream of industry-ready filmmakers, broadcasters, and audio engineers—and a more traditional, supportive residential college community. The vibe is active and engaged, with a sprawling campus overlooking Cayuga Lake that fosters a tight-knit, if sometimes insular, culture where joining one of over 200 student clubs is practically a rite of passage.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
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
4,242
In-state tuition
$53,540
Out-of-state tuition
$53,540
On-Campus Housing
85% of students
Most Popular Majors
Business, Radio/TV, Film Production
Early Action Deadline
December 1
Median Earnings (10yr)
$63,548
Early Decision Deadline
November 1
Six-Year Graduation Rate
76%
Average Grant/Scholarship
$35,986
First-Year Graduation Rate
85.7%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$63,548
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.9×
Median debt at graduation
$24,000
Graduation rate
76%
First-year retention
85%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
82%
Pell (lower-income) share
19%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
14%
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.
Computer Science$71,575
Accounting and Related Services$59,417
Business Administration, Management and Operations$46,899
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$44,933
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$40,956
Biology, General
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside Ithaca College on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
Co-application frequency from self-reported results — directional peer discovery, not a recommendation.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
14
Per 1,000 students
2.95
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
90
Summer high
78°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
46.5"
Annual snow
52.3"
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
341
Scholarly works
13,750
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
1.4%
Bottom → top quintile
36%
From bottom quintile
4%
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 Ithaca College?
Ithaca College's acceptance rate is approximately 69% (Ithaca, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Ithaca College?
Admitted students at Ithaca College typically score 1230–1390 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Ithaca College cost?
At Ithaca College, the average net price (after aid) is about $33,926 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Ithaca College?
Ithaca College enrolls approximately 4,242 undergraduate students.
Where is Ithaca College located?
Ithaca College is located in Ithaca, NY.
Admissions
Ithaca College operates with a moderately selective admissions process, accepting a clear majority of its applicants. The is 69%, positioning it as less selective than elite liberal arts colleges but more so than many public institutions. For the admitted class, the middle 50% SAT score range is 1230–1390. The college offers both Early Decision (with a November 1 deadline) and a non-binding Early Action option (with a December 1 deadline). Notably, the early acceptance rate has been reported as significantly higher than the regular decision rate; one source cites an early acceptance rate of 90.3%. However, the college's rate—the percentage of admitted students who enroll—has historically been modest, reported at 14.6% for the Fall 2019 entering class. The admissions process considers a range of factors, and while the is the definitive source for how colleges weigh criteria like demonstrated interest, the provided sources do not explicitly state Ithaca College's specific policy on that factor.
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.
$39,153
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$37,748
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies$37,208
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.
The academic experience at Ithaca is defined by its immersive, hands-on approach and a curriculum that powerfully merges liberal arts foundations with direct professional preparation. The college organizes its offerings into several schools, with the Roy H. Park School of Communications standing as its most famous and influential unit. This is not a school where theory outweighs practice; the official materials emphasize an "immersive, transformative, empowering learning environment with expert faculty who are fully dedicated to your success."
The most popular majors reflect this professional-leaning identity:
Business Administration and Management, General
Radio and Television
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Psychology
Niche.com data aligns, listing Cinematography and Video Production, Business, and Radio and Television as the top three majors by number of graduates. The School of Humanities and Sciences provides the liberal arts core, promoting "advanced research and mentorship opportunities that are truly unique at the undergraduate level." This structure allows a student to major in documentary film production while minoring in politics or environmental studies, creating the kind of hybrid, practical education the college specializes in.
Life on South Hill is intensely residential and community-oriented. A full 85% of students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, creating a campus-centric bubble with sweeping views of Cayuga Lake. The administration describes the student population as "founded on showing—not just saying—welcome" and committed to social justice. The primary engine of social life is the dense network of over 200 student clubs and organizations, covering interests from service and culture to gaming. Greek life is not a dominant social force, with sources indicating there is "no party scene or Greek life" and that the best way to make friends is to join clubs.
This doesn't mean there's no social activity, but the character of it is a topic of student discussion. Some online student commentary questions the party culture, with one Reddit post relaying a perception that "Ithaca students only seem to care about partying, wanting just to get a diploma rather than an education." This suggests a campus where social scenes exist but may not define the experience for all. The Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life explicitly aims to foster "the comprehensive growth of students, their academic success, and community development," indicating an institutional focus on holistic support within the residential setting.
Ithaca College graduates show solid outcomes, with a strong graduation rate and earnings that outpace national averages. The college reports a first-time, full-time student graduation rate of 85.7% (for Fall 2024 data). Other sources cite a six-year graduation rate of 76.2%, placing it "within the top 20% of universities nationwide" for completion performance. The four-year graduation rate is 66%.
In terms of earnings, data shows median earnings for graduates six years after entry are $46,305, which one analysis notes is about 6% higher than national outcomes. Earnings growth appears significant, with one dataset showing earnings five years after graduation at $59,052 per year. The College Scorecard is noted as a key source for this granular outcomes data, including typical earnings of graduates.
As a private institution, Ithaca College carries a high sticker price, but it commits substantial resources to financial aid. The college reports that the average offer of grants and scholarships per student is $35,986, and overall awards totaling $217 million were made in grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study to students in a recent year. A calculator is provided for prospective students to estimate their individual cost.
Financial aid is primarily need-based, with Ithaca College Grants awarded "based on demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA." The sources do not indicate that Ithaca College has a "no-loan" policy or that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. Discussions on forums like Reddit include international students questioning whether the college meets full need, but no official policy confirming this is provided in the sources. The average net price after aid—the cost after grants and scholarships are applied—is a critical figure for families, though the sources cite varying numbers; one lists it as $43,837, while another states $34,297 after scholarships and grants, with 61.69% of students receiving financial aid.
Ithaca College carves out a unique niche by refusing to be just a liberal arts college or just a professional school. It is a hybrid, and its standout reputation is almost entirely built on the strength of one unit: the Roy H. Park School of Communications. For students passionate about film, television, radio, journalism, and emerging media, Ithaca offers a rare undergraduate experience—faculty with industry credentials, access to professional-grade equipment and studios, and a pedagogical focus on creating a portfolio from day one. This creates a tangible career pipeline into competitive creative fields.
Beyond Park, the college offers the supportive structure of a residential liberal arts campus—small classes, dedicated faculty mentorship, and a strong emphasis on community—wrapped around specialized programs in business, health sciences, and music. The location, on a hill overlooking one of the most beautiful college towns in America, reinforces this blend: it's a self-contained, focused academic community that is separate from, but adjacent to, the intellectual ferment of Cornell University. The result is a school for doers and makers who want a traditional college experience that is relentlessly practical about launching their careers.
Ithaca College seal · sourceIthaca College at a Glance | Ithaca College · sourceIthaca College | Private, Liberal Arts, Upstate NY | Britannica · sourceVisit Ithaca College | Ithaca College · source
