More selective than 40% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $52,449. College Scorecard.
Higher than 53% of New York colleges we cover and 69% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 44% of New York colleges we cover and 63% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
EC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,109 applicants, Elmira College admitted 1,915 and 163 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1090–1385 on the SAT or 26–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
EC 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)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
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 EC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Elmira College took 4.1 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,392 | $70,959 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $16,586 | $67,671 | 3.0 years |
| $48–75k | $19,938 | $81,347 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $23,309 | $95,101 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $27,418 | $111,865 | 4.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (59% 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 ($57,550) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,917 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.
EC majors, earnings & careers
Elmira College offers 35 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Education · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
Highest-earning majors at EC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $89,729 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $71,915 | — |
| Business Administration | $60,556 | $27,000 |
| Special Education | $56,168 | — |
| Biology | $55,132 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $51,101 | $27,000 |
| Human Services | $49,723 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$71,915
- Area Studies—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$55,132
- Business Administration$60,556
- Chemistry—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History—
- Human Services$49,723
- International Relations—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Nursing$89,729
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$51,101
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Special Education$56,168
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
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 Elmira
Overall prices in the Elmira, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,348. Housing costs 24% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 37 inches of rain a year, 42 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Chemung County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Chemung County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare EC 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.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira College | 77% | $22,386 | 65% | $57,550 | This school |
| D'Youville University | 81% | $20,433 | 67% | $66,942 | |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | 71% | $23,130 | 67% | $55,031 | |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 77% | $26,683 | 51% | $46,145 | |
| Canisius University | 72% | $17,940 | 66% | $60,681 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Elmira College would cost you $1,953 more per year than D'Youville University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Elmira College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$4,036).
- Elmira College gives aided families $1,957 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | EC | D'Youville University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $38,976 | $34,940 | +$4,036 |
| Books & supplies | $600 | $1,200 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $13,990 | $11,800 | +$2,190 |
| Personal & travel | $550 | $3,000 | −$2,450 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,667 | −$2,401 | +$734 |
| Sticker price | $52,449 | $48,539 | +$3,910 |
| Average grants | −$30,063 | −$28,106 | −$1,957 |
| You pay | $22,386 | $20,433 | +$1,953 |
“+” means EC 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 EC
What is the EC acceptance rate?
Elmira College accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,915 of 2,109 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1090–1385 on the SAT or 26–29 on the ACT.
How much does Elmira College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $52,449 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,386 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,392 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,418.
How much do EC graduates earn?
Former Elmira College students earn a median $57,550 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the EC graduation rate?
65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a EC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Elmira College costs about $81,347 after grants ($19,938 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,550 ten years after starting, $22,917 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 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: “Elmira College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/elmira-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).