Emerson College

What Emerson College does

Emerson College is a private, non-profit educational institution founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in undergraduate and graduate education in arts, communication, performing arts, journalism, and media studies. It operates three physical campuses: the Boston headquarters at 120 Boylston Street in the Theatre District (across from Boston Common); a 107,000 sq-ft West Coast campus at 5960 W. Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles (housing up to 217 students with classrooms, screening rooms, performance studios, and residence halls); and the Kasteel Well international campus at Kasteellaan 20, the Netherlands, supporting study-abroad and around-the-world programs. The college maintains a robust ecosystem of student- and professionally-run media assets, including award-winning 88.9 FM radio station WERS (serving New England), the Ploughshares literary magazine (based at Emerson since 1989), the EVVY Awards (the largest student-run awards show in the United States), Expression Magazine (alumni magazine), and the Emerson College Polling operation (with 25 years of nationally recognized public-opinion surveying).

The institution's revenue model is diversified across multiple tuition streams — undergraduate and graduate degree programs, Professional Studies and certificate offerings (some available online via open enrollment), Emerson Los Angeles semester and low-residency programs, and internships — supplemented by rental income from campus facilities (LA screening rooms, conference centers, and outdoor terraces used for external events) and philanthropic contributions through the Office of Institutional Advancement. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via Common App integration, on-campus visits, information sessions, virtual tours, and regional recruitment across New England, New York, Southern California, Washington DC, and Atlanta; targeting working adults and continuing-education learners through open-enrollment online certificates.

Emerson is governed by a Board of Trustees under chair Doug Herzog (effective June 2026), with day-to-day academic leadership including Jan Roberts-Breslin (Dean, Graduate and Professional Studies, and Interim Dean, School of the Arts) and Kenneth Rogers (Dean, Emerson Los Angeles). The college's strategic plan 'Extraordinary Emerson 2030' guides operations. In 2020 Emerson absorbed Marlboro College, establishing the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Study, and acquired the Marlboro College Archives. Emerson College's institutional scale includes 14 NCAA Division III Emerson Lions teams, 200+ student-athletes, and a 58,000+ alumni network across 150+ industries and 115+ countries.

Name

Emerson College

Legal name

Emerson College

Website

https://emerson.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Emerson College is a private, non-profit educational institution founded in 1880 in Boston, specializing in undergraduate and graduate programs in arts, communication, journalism, and performing arts, with campuses in Boston, Los Angeles, and the Netherlands serving a 58,000+ alumni network across 115+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts-Integrated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAO), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Arts education
• Communication studies
• Performing arts
• Liberal arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Tuition revenue from undergraduate degree programs, with financial aid available to offset costs for qualifying students
2. Graduate Tuition: Tuition revenue from graduate degree programs across various disciplines including writing, film, communication, and performing arts
3. Professional Studies Programs: Certificate and non-credit programs providing revenue from professional development and continuing education courses
4. Emerson Los Angeles Programs: Revenue from LA-based undergraduate semester programs, summer programs, and graduate low-residency programs including internship opportunities
5. Campus Facilities and Event Rentals: Rental income from Emerson Los Angeles facilities including screening rooms, conference centers, outdoor terraces, and performance studios for external events
6. Institutional Advancement/Development: Philanthropic contributions from alumni, parents, and friends through the Office of Institutional Advancement

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Emerson College is a private, non-profit institution of higher education that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs focused on arts, communication, performing arts, journalism, media studies, and writing. The college operates three campuses (Boston, Los Angeles, and Kasteel Well in the Netherlands) and delivers experiential learning through internships, professional studies, certificate programs, and student-run media such as WERS-FM radio and Ploughshares literary magazine.

Product overview

Emerson College is an educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts and communication disciplines. The institution operates a main campus in Boston, a West Coast campus in Los Angeles, and an international campus in The Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Their educational portfolio includes traditional degree programs, professional studies, certificate programs, and experiential learning opportunities including internships. The institution also maintains campus media including WERS-FM radio station, Ploughshares literary magazine, and various student publications and productions. As a college rather than a software company, Emerson does not offer a structured product platform or modular software offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs in arts, communication, performing arts, journalism, and media studies with embedded experiential learning and internship opportunities, designed for high school graduates and transfer students.
• Graduate Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 58,000+ alumni network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Marlboro CollegeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2020Historic alliance between Emerson College and Marlboro College on July 23, 2020, carrying on Marlboro's legacy of rigorous, independent scholarship while strengthening Emerson's commitment to liberal arts. The Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Study was established to honor Marlboro's tradition of self-directed study. Students, faculty, and alumni transitioned to Emerson in fall 2020.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Southern California (USC): Major research university in Los Angeles with the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Cinematic Arts, offering strong Hollywood-tied programs that compete directly with Emerson Los Angeles for entertainment industry talent.
• Boston University: Larger private research university in Boston with a College of Communication offering journalism, film, and media programs that directly overlap Emerson's core offerings, while also providing broader STEM and business programs that Emerson lacks.
• Northeastern University: Boston-based research university with a College of Arts, Media and Design that competes directly for creative students; differentiated by co-op program but overlapping on communication, journalism, and film degrees.
• New York University (NYU Tisch): Private university with Tisch School of the Arts in NYC offering undergraduate and graduate programs in film, theatre, and media that compete for the same arts-focused student segment as Emerson.

Direct peers

• Loyola Marymount University (LMU): Jesuit private university in Los Angeles with a School of Film and Television and strong communication programs; directly comparable to Emerson LA in terms of LA footprint, creative-program focus, and student profile.
• Chapman University: Private California university with Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and strong theater programs; comparable private, arts-communication-focused institution competing for West Coast creative talent.
• Bennington College: Small private liberal arts college in Vermont with strong arts, writing, and performing arts programs; comparable private nonprofit creative-focused college with a similar enrollment scale and residential arts emphasis.
• Quinnipiac University: Private university with a School of Communications offering journalism, film, and media production programs, comparable in scale and private-residential model, targeting similar Northeast creative students.
• Suffolk University: Private university in downtown Boston with strong communication, journalism, and theater programs, comparable in size and urban-residential model to Emerson and competing for the same pool of Boston-area creative students.

Emerging players

• American Film Institute (AFI): Conservatory-style institution in Los Angeles focused exclusively on graduate-level film and television training; competes for the same Hollywood-adjacent graduate cohort Emerson LA serves in low-residency MFA programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmersonCollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/emersoncollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/52189134433
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emerson-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/EmersonCollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emerson College