More selective than 17% 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 $31,143. College Scorecard.
Higher than 54% of New York colleges we cover and 70% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 21% of New York colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Houghton University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,068 applicants, Houghton University admitted 990 and 235 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1375 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Houghton 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)
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 Houghton University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Houghton University 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 | $19,147 | $78,694 | 6.5 years |
| $30–48k | $18,503 | $76,047 | 6.3 years |
| $48–75k | $19,312 | $79,372 | 6.6 years |
| $75–110k | $19,974 | $82,093 | 6.8 years |
| $110k+ | $22,424 | $92,163 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (60% 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 ($46,721) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,088 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.
Houghton University majors, earnings & careers
Houghton University offers 39 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at Houghton University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $60,393 | $21,450 |
| Communications | $45,134 | — |
| Psychology | $37,822 | — |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Accounting—
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services—
- Area Studies—
- Bible Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$60,393
- Chemistry—
- Communications$45,134
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Human Resources—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$37,822
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Writing—
— 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 →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
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Houghton
2 bedrooms $1,014.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 85 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Allegany County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Allegany County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Houghton 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.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton University | 89% | $20,519 | 65% | $46,721 | This school |
| Mount Saint Mary College | 89% | $25,522 | 65% | $67,705 | |
| Wagner College | 88% | $28,241 | 65% | $74,360 | |
| Bet Medrash Gadol Ateret Torah | 89% | $10,273 | 58% | — | |
| Mirrer Yeshiva Cent Institute | 89% | $10,728 | 73% | $41,192 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Houghton University would cost you $5,003 less per year than Mount Saint Mary College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Houghton University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$25,020).
- Mount Saint Mary College gives aided families $18,868 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | Houghton University | Mount Saint Mary College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $18,430 | $43,450 | −$25,020 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,522 | −$522 |
| Housing & meals | $10,810 | $18,820 | −$8,010 |
| Personal & travel | $2,500 | $1,684 | +$816 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,597 | −$10,462 | +$8,865 |
| Sticker price | $31,143 | $55,014 | −$23,871 |
| Average grants | −$10,624 | −$29,492 | +$18,868 |
| You pay | $20,519 | $25,522 | −$5,003 |
“+” means Houghton 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 Houghton University
What is the Houghton University acceptance rate?
Houghton University accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 990 of 1,068 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1375 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
How much does Houghton University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $31,143 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,519 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,147 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,424.
How much do Houghton University graduates earn?
Former Houghton University students earn a median $46,721 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Houghton University graduation rate?
65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a Houghton University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Houghton University costs about $79,372 after grants ($19,312 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,721 ten years after starting, $12,088 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 6.6 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: “Houghton University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/houghton-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).