Emerson Boston vs Principia College

Emerson College and Principia College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Emerson College, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is known for its strong focus on the arts, communication, and media. Principia College, nestled in Elsah, Illinois, emphasizes a liberal arts education rooted in Christian Science principles. With acceptance rates of 49% and 86%, respectively, these colleges attract students with diverse backgrounds and aspirations. While Emerson boasts popular majors in Communication and Media Studies, Journalism, and Theatre Arts, Principia excels in fields such as Business Administration, Education, and Psychology. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these colleges, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the ideal college for your academic and personal growth.
Emerson College logo

Emerson College

Principia College logo

Principia College

Overview

Location Boston, Massachusetts Elsah, Illinois
Campus setting City: Large Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 87.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 45.3% 84.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1200 - 1400 1028 - 1193
ACT range 28 - 32 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 28.0% 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 12.0% 13.0%
Total number of applicants 11,568 138
Total number of admissions given out 5,238 116
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,058 79
Yield rate 20.2% 68.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,450 $42,820
Average net price $48,842 $19,816
Tuition $51,264 $29,970
Room & board $19,144
Room/dormitory: $5,810

Meal plan: $6,460
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

80.0%
Average amount $25,433
94.0%
Average amount $25,174
Students receiving federal student loan 50.0%
Average amount $5,314
0.0%
Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $28,643
94.0%
Average amount $2,016

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,117
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
321
Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students 1,783
Men 12.4% Women 87.6%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 92.7%
International students 12.4% 24.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,583 585
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California New York New Jersey Connecticut Florida Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Communication and Journalism
  • English Language and Literature
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 78.8% 85.9%
Dropout rate 20.5% 14.1%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,751
  • Year 2: $56,776
  • Year 3: $62,323
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,791
  • Year 2: $56,641
  • Year 3: $59,256
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,510
  • Year 2: $44,327
  • Year 3: $53,692
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,045
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,740
Publishing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,317
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: $48,728
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,632
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $46,462
Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,675
  • Year 2: $38,953
  • Year 3: $45,255
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,872
  • Year 2: $40,140
  • Year 3: $43,252
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,439
  • Year 2: $28,212
  • Year 3: $42,141
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,600
  • Year 3: $41,506
N/A

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