More selective than 84% 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 $84,517. College Scorecard.
Higher than 91% of New York colleges we cover and 92% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 85% of New York colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Syracuse University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 42,089 applicants, Syracuse University admitted 17,545 and 3,672 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1270–1440 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Syracuse 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 Syracuse University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Syracuse 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 | $15,817 | $65,482 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $15,845 | $65,598 | 1.5 years |
| $48–75k | $21,132 | $87,486 | 2.0 years |
| $75–110k | $28,780 | $119,149 | 2.7 years |
| $110k+ | $55,401 | $229,360 | 5.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (71% 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 ($79,164) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $44,531 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.
Syracuse University majors, earnings & careers
Syracuse University offers 81 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Engineering · 11
- Science & Math · 11
- Business & Finance · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Education · 3
Highest-earning majors at Syracuse University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $120,773 | $27,000 |
| Finance | $120,274 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $112,682 | $27,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $110,988 | — |
| Information Science / Studies | $104,842 | $26,694 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $99,521 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $91,472 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,438 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 81 majors
- Accounting$112,682
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$90,470
- Anthropology$53,196
- Applied Mathematics—
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology$76,367
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management$61,819
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$68,283
- Biomedical Engineering$99,521
- Biotechnology$87,596
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$70,815
- Business Administration$91,472
- Chemical Engineering$87,529
- Chemistry$68,017
- Civil Engineering$88,996
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$70,106
- Computer and Information Sciences$120,773
- Computer Engineering$110,988
- Data Analytics—
- Economics$83,649
- Education$62,372
- Education (Subject Teaching)$65,410
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$60,602
- Entrepreneurship$87,851
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences Business Services$90,210
- Film and Photography$54,115
- Finance$120,274
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$58,038
- Geography$71,543
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$71,527
- Graphic Communications—
- History$64,871
- Human Development and Family Studies$53,522
- Human Services$68,314
- Information Science / Studies$104,842
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Interior Architecture$67,227
- International Relations$68,049
- Journalism$70,404
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$68,219
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing$91,235
- Mathematics$81,941
- Mechanical Engineering$91,438
- Music—
- Neuroscience$54,088
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$75,239
- Psychology$65,694
- Public Administration$89,732
- Public Health$69,776
- Public Relations and Advertising$90,535
- Real Estate$90,764
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security$69,491
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$60,920
- Sociology$67,044
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$84,654
- Special Education$62,864
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$56,485
- Studio Art$43,988
- Systems Science and Theory—
- Theatre$44,045
- Writing$61,159
— 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 →Public Relations and Advertising → 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
Journalism → Reporter / journalist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 5.9% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Syracuse
Overall prices in the Syracuse, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,493. Housing costs 19% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 128 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Onondaga County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Onondaga County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Syracuse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | 46% | $38,793 | 84% | $79,164 | This school |
| Fordham University | 59% | $44,338 | 82% | $85,569 | |
| University of Rochester | 40% | $29,278 | 85% | $79,042 | |
| Union College | 44% | $34,561 | 80% | $88,604 | |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 67% | $34,906 | 70% | $76,571 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Syracuse University would cost you $5,545 less per year than Fordham University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Syracuse University, mostly from more Fordham University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$6,639).
- Syracuse University gives aided families $7,300 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | Syracuse University | Fordham University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $65,528 | $64,915 | +$613 |
| Books & supplies | $1,690 | $1,088 | +$602 |
| Housing & meals | $18,444 | $23,075 | −$4,631 |
| Personal & travel | $1,952 | $3,420 | −$1,468 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,097 | −$9,736 | +$6,639 |
| Sticker price | $84,517 | $82,762 | +$1,755 |
| Average grants | −$45,724 | −$38,424 | −$7,300 |
| You pay | $38,793 | $44,338 | −$5,545 |
“+” means Syracuse 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 Syracuse University
What is the Syracuse University acceptance rate?
Syracuse University accepts 46% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 17,545 of 42,089 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1270–1440 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
How much does Syracuse University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $84,517 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $38,793 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,817 and families earning $110k+ pay $55,401.
How much do Syracuse University graduates earn?
Former Syracuse University students earn a median $79,164 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Syracuse University graduation rate?
84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year.
How long does a Syracuse University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Syracuse University costs about $87,486 after grants ($21,132 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $79,164 ten years after starting, $44,531 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 2.0 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: “Syracuse University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/syracuse-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).