Colleges / Empire State University
College · Public · Saratoga Springs, NY · Suburb
ESU

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY

AddressTwo Union Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4391
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate
6-yr median pay$50k
Net price / yr$12k
Undergrad size7,585
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $12k/yr for a shot at a $50k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of unspecified means this is admit rate not reported for this school.

If you get in

7,585 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $20k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $12k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$79k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$47k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$32k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback0.9x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$7.6k
Tuition · out-of-state
$17.6k
Books & supplies
$1,776

How students pay for it.

Pell grants37%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans34%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$19k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $10k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention56%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr41%
A meaningful chunk do not finish — ask why.
6-yr median pay$50k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$54k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out19%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
7,585
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Region
Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · medium · primarily nonresidential
Undergrad program
Four-year · higher part-time
Accreditor
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White46%
  • Hispanic16%
  • Black16%
  • Unknown14%
  • Asian3%
  • Two or more races3%
  • International1%
First-gen students45%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time49%
Many students enroll part-time — often working.
Veterans2%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$27k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 28

What you can study.

Colleges / Empire State University
College · Public · Saratoga Springs, NY · Suburb
ESU

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY

AddressTwo Union Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4391
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate
6-yr median pay$50k
Net price / yr$12k
Undergrad size7,585
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $12k/yr for a shot at a $50k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of unspecified means this is admit rate not reported for this school.

If you get in

7,585 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $20k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $12k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$79k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$47k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$32k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback0.9x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$7.6k
Tuition · out-of-state
$17.6k
Books & supplies
$1,776

How students pay for it.

Pell grants37%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans34%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$19k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $10k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention56%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr41%
A meaningful chunk do not finish — ask why.
6-yr median pay$50k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$54k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out19%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
7,585
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Region
Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · medium · primarily nonresidential
Undergrad program
Four-year · higher part-time
Accreditor
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White46%
  • Hispanic16%
  • Black16%
  • Unknown14%
  • Asian3%
  • Two or more races3%
  • International1%
First-gen students45%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time49%
Many students enroll part-time — often working.
Veterans2%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$27k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 28

What you can study.