Emerson College (EC)

Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson, Emerson College is an independent, nondenominational college in Boston, Massachusetts, that enrolls approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 states and several dozen countries. As the world's only college dedicated to the constant evolution of expression, our work innovates communication, media, and the arts.

At Emerson, our students learn how to advance the ways humans connect and communicate every day. We have long been a pioneer in education focused on communication and the arts. We were one of the first colleges in the nation to establish a program in children's theater (1919) and one of the first to offer undergraduate programs in broadcasting (1937). We were also the first New England college to establish an educational FM radio station (WERS in 1949). In 2016, we became the first in the country to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Comedic Arts.

Emerson is a powerful career catalyst. Our 58,000+ alumni live in 100+ countries and have built extraordinary careers in myriad industries, including publishing, media, business, entertainment, sports, politics, and healthcare. They are New York Times—bestselling authors, general managers of NBA teams, Tony-winning actors, Oscar-winning directors, accomplished journalists, and comedy legends.

Emerson's 4,100+ undergraduate students come from all 50 states and several dozen countries. Our Boston campus is always active and lively, thanks to the more than 100 registered student organizations and activities. Most of our students join multiple orgs, because they understand that connection and collaboration with their peers lead to greater impact and more innovative work.

The College also offers approximately 20 co-curricular activities that range from assisting faculty with research to participating in publication and film production student organizations. Other options for student involvement include fraternity and sorority life and honorary societies.

About 200 students participate in our 14 NCAA Division III sports: baseball, basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. We also offer intramural and recreational sports and fitness programs.

The student body is described as "small, open-minded, artsy, but with a distinct studentathlete crowd." Emerson students "usually enter the school with a career already in mind" with some having "prior experience." It is "rare to find people who are undeclared." Students describe Emerson as "an art school without the label," attracting "creative forces" who are "ambitious, driven, and self-starters." Students "can be a little pretentious and business oriented" and "casual conversations can sometimes feel like a networking event." Yet others stress that their "peers are collaborative and kind," with most "extremely kind and willing to work with each other." Everybody is generally "open to new ideas and perspectives, very accepting and friendly," and "all very committed to their art." One student comments on diversity: "It's a diverse campus in sexual and gender identity, however, racial diversity is limited. There's a range of interests, but the majority of students at Emerson are here to study some aspect of film, and so life is somewhat dominated by that." The campus tends to be "pro-social justice," with a "great activism community" that is "highly involved in Black Lives Matter," "climate change," and other hot-button political issues.

Students report that while Boston gives them everything they can hope for in terms of entertainment and culture, the on-campus extracurricular activities at Emerson "are innumerable and invaluable." Emerson provides "enough resources that you can do pretty much anything you want to do": clubs are "largely student run and provide a good amount of field experience for whatever it is you want to do." The campus is located "right on the Boston Common," so students enjoy "taking walks," visiting museums, many with "free entry," and trying out "lots of good food." Many students "work part-time" in the city, and otherwise students "hang out in the common rooms," "spend time working with a number of student organizations," exploring "wonderful Common Park," which is located close to campus. Other students like "watching NCAA games" or "attending interesting plays at the Emerson theatre." "Emerson students are known to overcommit themselves to activities," says one student. Another says, "It is not unusual to hear of students working on...several different shows and organizations while always taking challenging courses. Students, however, rarely complain that this affects the "quality of their lives or academic experience."