Private nonprofit · College

Elmira College

Elmira, New York · Small city

77.0%
Admit rate
$22,386
Avg net price
65%
Graduation rate
$57,550
Median earnings

Elmira College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Elmira, New York (small city setting), enrolling 708 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 708 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 77% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Elmira College's admitted students.

Admit rate
77.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1090–1385
Avg GPA (est.)
3.65

Enter a test score to see where you land against Elmira College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Elmira College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Elmira, New York

Elmira is a city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. Cayuga residing in the region maintained relations with European settlers, primarily related to the fur trade, but were otherwise relatively isolated from expanding colonial settlements. On at least two hilltops near the city (mostly on Harris Hill to the northwest) pioneer pilots established the sport of gliding in America. Harris Hill is the site of the National Soaring Museum and was also used for glider trainings during World War 2. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
74 miles to Syracuse, NY
To Great Lakes shore
81 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Elmira Corning (ELM)

How Elmira College compares

Selectivity77.0%

More selective than 51% · #85 most selective of 137 in New York

SAT average1314

Higher than 81%

Graduation rate65%

Higher than 68% · #69 of 159 in New York

First-year retention70%

Higher than 30%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$57,550

Higher than 61% · #79 of 133 in New York

Average net price$22,386

Cheaper than 39% · #92 cheapest of 153 in New York

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment708

Larger than 28%

Percentiles compare Elmira College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New York.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

749students
  • Undergraduate70895%
  • Graduate415%

Undergraduates by gender

708undergrads
  • Women50471%
  • Men20429%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black5.2%
  • Hispanic8.8%
  • Asian3.3%
  • Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
708
Graduate enrollment
41
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
38%
First-generation students
27%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$65,605
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$46,719
Endowment
$25,816,885

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
77.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1090–1385
SAT average
1314
SAT reading
568–694
SAT math
522–691
ACT composite
26–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.65

Cost

In-state tuition
$38,976
Room & board
$14,550
Books & supplies
$600
Total cost of attendance
$52,449
Average net price
$22,386

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
65%
Graduated on time (4 years)
60%
First-year retention
70%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,057
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$57,550
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
72%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
61%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
60%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
65%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,191
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$7,488
Meal plan (year)
$6,502
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
408 (181 men · 227 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Soccer73
Ice Hockey55
Other Sports48
Basketball42
Baseball39
Wrestling38
Lacrosse37
Volleyball34
Softball27
Field Hockey15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
1
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (786 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

2.3reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.7
Fondling
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$17,392
$30–48k
$16,586
$48–75k
$19,938
$75–110k
$23,309
$110k+
$27,418

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$81,795

$19,938/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$23,140
average award, among those who get one

Elmira College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $23,140. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 172 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$57,550
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$55,438
Men
$62,517

Men out-earn women by $7,079 (13%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
16°F
Annual rain
38.1″
Annual snow
41.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Elmira, NY US station (1.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Elmira College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Elmira College side by side →

Colleges near Elmira College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.