Excelsior vs Empire State College

Excelsior College and SUNY Empire State College, both based in New York, offer flexible and accessible online learning opportunities for students seeking higher education. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between the two institutions that prospective students should consider. Excelsior College boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students with diverse backgrounds. SUNY Empire State College, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. Both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including business, nursing, and liberal arts. However, Excelsior College has a larger student body, providing a more vibrant and diverse campus community. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences in greater detail. Explore the table to discover which institution better aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Excelsior College	SUNY Empire State College
Overview
Location	Albany, New York	Saratoga Springs, New York
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Non Traditional	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		62.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price		In state: $22,984 Out of state: $32,894
Average net price		$11,557
Tuition		In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980
Room & board
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)		77.0% Average amount $7,031
Students receiving federal student loan		52.0% Average amount $6,667
Students taking out private loans		0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	15,260 Men 52.4% Women 47.6%	7,926 Men 36.0% Women 64.0%
Graduate students	1,906 Men 55.2% Women 44.8%	1,536 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	5.2%
International students	1.1%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York Connecticut Florida Mississippi New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Business Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Public Administration and Social Service Business Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	N/A	23.7%
Dropout rate	N/A	55.1%
Transferred out	N/A	17.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,153 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $107,804 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,537 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $102,156 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,370 Year 2: $83,768 Year 3: $89,231 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $77,505 Year 2: $74,747 Year 3: $77,427 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $63,613 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $61,889 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,382 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $61,881 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,784 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $53,546 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,508 Year 2: $49,660 Year 3: $51,791 Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,863 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $49,707 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $46,725 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $49,225	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,762 Year 2: $89,879 Year 3: $93,382 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,395 Year 2: $69,897 Year 3: $70,379 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $65,898 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $62,244 Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,562 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $60,601 Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,259 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,584 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,983 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,197 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,742 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $42,796 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,935 English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,680 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $40,271 Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,496 Year 2: $36,387 Year 3: $38,150

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Excelsior vs Empire State College

Excelsior College

SUNY Empire State College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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