Alfred University

Alfred University is a less selective private nonprofit university in Alfred, New York. It admits most applicants, graduates 57% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $54,897 ten years after starting college, more than 36% of the New York colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
74%

More selective than 45% of New York colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$25,620 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $57,445. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
57%

Higher than 42% of New York colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$54,897

Higher than 36% of New York colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Alfred University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 7,761 applicants, Alfred University admitted 3,751 and 432 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1095–1310 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.

7,761
Applied
3,751
Admitted
432
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1095–1310
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years24–29
First-years who sent SAT scores27%
First-year students who return78%
Pell Grant recipients39%
First-generation students25%
Women / men52% / 48%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Alfred University tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees$41,500
Housing & meals, on campus$14,240
Books & supplies$1,300
Total cost of attendance$57,445

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$17,751
Loan default rate5.1%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)

What Alfred University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Alfred University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$16,512$70,0113.5 years
$30–48k$15,067$63,8843.2 years
$48–75k$22,125$93,8104.6 years
$75–110k$28,280$119,9075.9 years
$110k+$33,388$141,5657.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (43% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,897) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,264 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in New York for your income →

Alfred University majors, earnings & careers

Alfred University offers 38 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 8
  • Science & Math · 8
  • Business & Finance · 5
  • Engineering · 5
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
  • Arts & Design · 2
  • Education · 2
  • Health & Medicine · 2
  • Communications & Media · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Alfred University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering$83,641$27,000
Mechanical Engineering$79,452$27,000
Engineering, Other$71,845—
Business Administration$61,629$26,000
Criminal Justice$57,570$22,625
Marketing$55,339—
Accounting$55,250—
Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,612$22,020
Quick list of all 38 majors
  • Accounting$55,250
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biological and Physical Sciences—
  • Biology—
  • Biomedical Engineering—
  • Business Administration$61,629
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
  • Ceramic Sciences and Engineering$83,641
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Criminal Justice$57,570
  • Data Analytics—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,612
  • Education (Subject Teaching)—
  • Engineering, Other$71,845
  • English—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Finance—
  • Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
  • Geology / Earth Science—
  • Gerontology—
  • Health Administration—
  • History—
  • International / Global Studies—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Marketing$55,339
  • Materials Engineering—
  • Mathematics—
  • Mechanical Engineering$79,452
  • Philosophy—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology$47,445
  • Sociology—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art$38,877
  • Theatre—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer

$102,440
New York
$104,110
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Business Administration → Management analyst

$112,250
New York
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Alfred

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$775/mo

2 bedrooms $1,014.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
32° / 81°

January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 82 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Low

No hazard rated high.

FEMA National Risk Index, Allegany County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,843
First-year students from New York72%
Next most common home statesPennsylvania, California, New Jersey
AthleticsNCAA Division III with football · 14 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyWhite 64% · Hispanic 11% · Black 7% · Two or more 4%International 9%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Allegany County at a glance

Population47,159
Median household income$62,869
Adults with a bachelor's degree25%
Median age39

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Alfred University with similar schools

Similar private colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Alfred University74%$25,62057%$54,897This school
Daemen University68%$18,69359%$61,808
Hartwick College70%$31,32053%$61,107
Canisius University72%$17,94066%$60,681
Keuka College68%$24,33858%$58,289

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Alfred University would cost you $6,927 more per year than Daemen University, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Alfred University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$6,282).
  • Alfred University gives aided families $5,326 more in grants, on average.
Per year, New York residentAlfred UniversityDaemen UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$41,500$35,218+$6,282
Books & supplies$1,300$1,000+$300
Housing & meals$14,240$13,940+$300
Personal & travel$2,830$1,500+$1,330
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,425−$6,466+$4,041
Sticker price$57,445$45,192+$12,253
Average grants−$31,825−$26,499−$5,326
You pay$25,620$18,693+$6,927

“+” means Alfred University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Alfred University

What is the Alfred University acceptance rate?

Alfred University accepts 74% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,751 of 7,761 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1095–1310 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.

How much does Alfred University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $57,445 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,620 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,512 and families earning $110k+ pay $33,388.

How much do Alfred University graduates earn?

Former Alfred University students earn a median $54,897 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Alfred University graduation rate?

57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.

How long does a Alfred University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Alfred University costs about $93,810 after grants ($22,125 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,897 ten years after starting, $20,264 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 4.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Alfred University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/alfred-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).