Colleges

Private nonprofit · Community college

The Ailey School

New York, New York · Large city

0%
Transfer rate
$35,855
Avg net price
84%
Grad / completion
$22,782
Median earnings

The Ailey School is a private nonprofit certificate-granting institution in New York, New York (large city setting), enrolling 94 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 94 undergradsLarge cityVery selective · 32% admitCold wintersNear the coast

About New York, New York

New York, often called New York City, is the most populous city in the United States. In the pre-Columbian era, the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by Algonquians, including Munsee-speaking Lenape. New York City is frequently the setting for novels, movies, and television programs and has been described as the cultural capital of the world. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Certificate
Nearest big city
4 miles to New York, NY
To the ocean
< 1 mile
Nearest airport
6 miles to LaGuardia (LGA) · major hub

How The Ailey School compares

Selectivity32.5%

More selective than 93% · #9 most selective of 57 in New York

Graduation rate84%

Higher than 83% · #52 of 185 in New York

First-year retention95%

Higher than 88%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$22,782

Higher than 11% · #140 of 148 in New York

Average net price$35,855

Cheaper than 3% · #162 cheapest of 175 in New York

Median debt at graduation$17,500

Lower than 9%

Student–faculty ratio3 : 1

Lower than 99%

Undergraduate enrollment94

Larger than 27%

Percentiles compare The Ailey School with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in New York.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

94undergrads
  • Women7479%
  • Men2021%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White8.5%
  • Black33%
  • Hispanic5.3%
  • Asian1.1%
  • Other or multiracial52%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
94
Student–faculty ratio
3 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
—
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$41,989

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

Cost

In-state tuition
$14,817
Room & board
$34,336
Books & supplies
$2,400
Total cost of attendance
$41,968
Average net price
$35,855

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

Admissions

Admission rate
32.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
—
SAT average
—
SAT reading
—
SAT math
—
ACT composite
—

Outcomes

Graduated
84%
First-year retention
95%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$23,620
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$22,782
Median debt at graduation
$17,500
Students with federal loans
36%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
34%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
50
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
53%
Housing charge (year)
$12,238
Application fee
$20

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%.

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
—
$30–48k
—
$48–75k
$29,508
$75–110k
$36,319
$110k+
$39,468

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.

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.

38%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,000
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 38% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,000. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 21 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)
$22,782
Typical debt at graduation
$17,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
77%
Out-earn a HS grad
55%

Typical debt would take roughly 7.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

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.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
49.5″
Annual snow
29.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New York Cntrl PK Twr, NY US station (1.2 mi from campus).

What The Ailey School graduates study — and earn

Dance
27 grads$14k 1 yr— 5 yr$20k debt

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.

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Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The Ailey School side by side →

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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.