Admit rate has ranged 66%–84% 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.
Simmons University is a small, women-centered liberal arts college in Boston with a pragmatic streak—its nursing and social work programs anchor a curriculum that blends theory with real-world experience. With an acceptance rate hovering around 70%, it’s accessible yet purposeful, offering a tight-knit community where students benefit from Boston’s professional opportunities without getting lost in a mega-university shuffle.
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)
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
1,670
In-state tuition
$46,874
Out-of-state tuition
$46,874
Location
Boston, MA
Popular Majors
Nursing, Social Work, Psychology
Acceptance Rate
70%
Student-Faculty Ratio
8:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
76%
Median Early-Career Salary
$56,491
Early Action Acceptance Rate
78.2%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$63,494
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.5×
Median debt at graduation
$24,840
Graduation rate
72%
First-year retention
85%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
77%
Pell (lower-income) share
39%
First-generation share
20%
Endowment / student
$149,215
Financial health
2.4 / 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.
Finance and Financial Management Services$71,643
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$67,789
Business Administration, Management and Operations$55,286
Marketing$50,439
Economics$49,323
Psychology, General
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
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
91
Summer high
81°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
49"
Annual snow
31.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
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
219
Scholarly works
5,154
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.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Simmons University?
Simmons University's acceptance rate is approximately 70% (Boston, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Simmons University?
Admitted students at Simmons University typically score 1220–1390 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Simmons University cost?
At Simmons University, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,265 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Simmons University?
Simmons University enrolls approximately 1,670 undergraduate students.
Where is Simmons University located?
Simmons University is located in Boston, MA.
Admissions
Simmons leans toward accessibility with a 70% acceptance rate (early action jumps to 78%), though admitted students typically post SAT scores between 1205–1385. The university is Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. and accepts the Common Application, with a GED or high school diploma required. Notably, 100% of first-year students receive financial aid, a selling point for its predominantly female applicant pool.
Simmons’ academic identity balances liberal arts with career-ready programs: nursing, social work, and psychology dominate its most popular majors. The university mandates a first-year experience (100% participation) and a senior capstone, with a 8:1 student-faculty ratio enabling close mentorship. Its ‘customizable curriculum’ allows undergrads to blend women’s leadership coursework with internships across Boston—a city that functions as an extended campus.
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.
$41,007
Political Science and Government$39,009
Sociology$38,289
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.
Signature programs: Nursing (clinical partnerships with Boston hospitals), Library Science (top-ranked graduate program), and a women’s leadership core curriculum.
Graduation rate: 71% in six years, outperforming many peers in its category.
Life at Simmons is small-scale and relationship-driven, with students describing the vibe as ‘tight-knit but occasionally cliquey.’ Boston’s museums, hospitals, and tech hubs provide off-campus energy, while on-campus clubs (from activism to anime) compensate for limited Greek life. A 2022 student video tour highlighted the dorm-centric social scene and easy access to Fenway Park—though some lament the ‘low school spirit’ at games.
Housing: Most undergrads live on campus in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.
Quirk: The ‘Triple-C’ office (Culture, Connection & Campus Ministries) organizes interfaith and identity-based programming.
Simmons graduates earn a median $56,491 early-career salary, with nursing and social work alumni benefiting from Boston’s dense employer network. The university reports a 76% six-year graduation rate, and 85% of students return after freshman year—a retention rate suggesting strong student satisfaction. Its career services tout ‘SLIS employment data’ tracking for library science grads, though broader post-grad stats are less transparent.
At $48,240 sticker price, Simmons isn’t cheap, but 74% of students receive aid, bringing the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. down to $24,423. Merit scholarships and need-based grants are standard, with the university emphasizing that no first-year student pays full price. The financial aid office pushes its Net Price Calculator hard—a hint at its recruitment strategy for middle-income families.
Simmons carves a niche as Boston’s women-centered university, offering a rare combo of intimate classes and urban professional access. Its nursing grads land jobs at Mass General, while social work students tap into the city’s nonprofit network—all with a safety net of 8:1 advising. The vibe is ‘supportive but unsentimental’: students come for the empowerment rhetoric but stay for the pragmatic pathways to paychecks.
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