More selective than 2% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,538. College Scorecard.
Higher than 30% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 59% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 19% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Lesley University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,509 applicants, Lesley University admitted 2,369 and 189 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Lesley 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
What Lesley University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Lesley University took 4.4 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 Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $24,799 | $108,124 | 9.6 years |
| $30–48k | $24,044 | $104,832 | 9.3 years |
| $48–75k | $29,030 | $126,571 | 11.2 years |
| $75–110k | $33,201 | $144,756 | 12.8 years |
| $110k+ | $35,152 | $153,263 | 13.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (44% 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 ($51,173) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,293 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.
Lesley University majors, earnings & careers
Lesley University offers 34 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
Highest-earning majors at Lesley University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $67,879 | $20,500 |
| Psychology | $56,837 | $23,848 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $52,570 | $17,918 |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | $52,367 | $26,000 |
| English | $50,260 | $24,750 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $49,175 | $26,000 |
| Film and Photography | $45,508 | $26,974 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $45,293 | $30,057 |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$67,879
- Communications—
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$52,570
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$50,260
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography$45,508
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$45,099
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Services—
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$45,293
- Mathematics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$56,837
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$52,367
- Psychology (Research)—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$43,129
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art$41,320
- Visual and Performing Arts$49,175
- 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 →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% 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 Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,383. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Middlesex County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Middlesex County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Lesley University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesley University | 97% | $31,152 | 58% | $51,173 | This school |
| American International College | 100% | $23,274 | 46% | $53,124 | |
| Bard College at Simon's Rock | 96% | $31,625 | 68% | $46,543 | |
| Lasell University | 81% | $27,511 | 59% | $49,705 | |
| Curry College | 88% | $29,207 | 51% | $54,400 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Lesley University would cost you $7,878 more per year than American International College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Lesley University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$9,974).
- American International College gives aided families $15,610 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Lesley University | AIC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $34,256 | $44,230 | −$9,974 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,200 | +$300 |
| Housing & meals | $19,060 | $16,260 | +$2,800 |
| Personal & travel | $2,240 | $1,870 | +$370 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,518 | −$4,290 | −$1,228 |
| Sticker price | $51,538 | $59,270 | −$7,732 |
| Average grants | −$20,386 | −$35,996 | +$15,610 |
| You pay | $31,152 | $23,274 | +$7,878 |
“+” means Lesley 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 Lesley University
What is the Lesley University acceptance rate?
Lesley University accepts 97% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,369 of 2,509 applicants were admitted.
How much does Lesley University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $51,538 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $31,152 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $24,799 and families earning $110k+ pay $35,152.
How much do Lesley University graduates earn?
Former Lesley University students earn a median $51,173 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Lesley University graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Lesley University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Lesley University costs about $126,571 after grants ($29,030 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,173 ten years after starting, $11,293 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 11.2 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: “Lesley University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lesley-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).