I am going to walk you through what the United States government, through its IPEDS system, reports about this institution. This is not a school brochure or my opinion about whether it is "good" or "bad." These are the data the school itself reported, organized so you can understand them without having to become an expert in federal codes. In the end, the decision is still yours and your daughter's. But you will reach that decision knowing more.
What Kind of School It Is and Where It Stands
Let's start with the basics, because the basics matter more here than they may seem to.
Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov is a private, nonprofit, two-year institution. The Carnegie system, which classifies schools in the United States according to what they do, places it in a two-year category called "Other Fields," a residual category that does not identify a specific area of study. It is small, and most of its students attend full time.
The highest level it reports offering is an associate degree. This is important if your daughter has her sights set on a bachelor's degree: it means that at some point she would have to transfer to another institution. That is not inherently a negative sign—many families use two-year schools in exactly this way, as the first part of the journey—but it is something you need to confirm with the school in writing: what transfer agreements it has and which courses the next institution would accept for your daughter. That information is not included in the federal report. You have to ask directly.
It is in Brooklyn, New York, within Kings County, in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. The census code places it in a principal city with 250,000 residents or more. If your daughter plans to live at home while studying, I recommend something simple and useful: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of her classes. The time shown on the map is almost never the actual travel time.
One more thing about identity: Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov is not registered as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this directory, 138 do have one of those three designations. Having none of them says nothing about whom the school serves or how your daughter would feel there. That is something to ask separately by speaking with someone who already studies on campus.
A Very Specific and Very Small Community
Here we come to one of the clearest data points in this entire report, and I would rather tell you directly: in the fall 2023 undergraduate count, Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov recorded zero Hispanic or Latino students. Zero.
Among the 255 private two-year schools that reported this data point within this census, it is among those reporting the lowest share. Nine out of ten schools in that group had a higher proportion. I am not telling you that this makes the school bad, or that a different number would make it better. I am telling you what the data point shows: who is enrolled, and nothing more. If your daughter would be one of the few, it is worth asking directly what student groups and support services exist today and speaking with someone who is already there before deciding. This number applies to the entire school; one particular person's experience may look different.
There is another data point that you probably already suspect from the institution's name, but that is worth stating as clearly as it is reported: the undergraduate count records zero men. Women make up 100% of enrollment. And there are almost no adult students: only 2 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old.
In terms of size, the school had 371 students enrolled in the official fall count, all undergraduates, within the "fewer than 1,000" band. Among private two-year schools in this same census, its size is one of the most common: neither among the large schools nor among the very smallest. IPEDS estimates that, of those 371, the institution's full-time equivalent is 341 students. Being small does not make it better or worse. What you should ask is whether the courses in your daughter's program are offered every semester or only once a year, because that affects how long it will take her to finish.
How the Academic Year Works and What the School Offers
The calendar here is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, according to the school's own report. Regarding credit at admission, in its 2023 report it marked "none of the above": it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience or AP exams. That question also did not measure dual credit. And it confirmed that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
One fact you need to know if the ultimate goal is a bachelor's degree: in the federal report of degrees awarded that year, Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov does not appear as having awarded any bachelor's degrees. This is not unusual for its type of institution. Of the 256 private two-year schools covered by this census, 254 are in the same situation: none awarded bachelor's degrees that year. But it is information you should have before building a plan: if the goal is a bachelor's degree, ask admissions for a written list of the degrees the school currently awards and its current transfer agreements.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 28 to 1, measured in full-time equivalents. Among similar schools in this census, this places it in the highest quarter: three out of four similar schools reported the same ratio or a lower one. Be careful about a common misunderstanding here: this number does not tell you the size of a classroom. It is an institution-wide aggregate ratio. If class size matters to you, ask for it directly, because IPEDS does not report it.
Getting In: A School That Says Yes
This is where the story gets interesting, and I want to give you the whole picture because it has several layers.
Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov does not have open admissions. It reviews several elements before saying yes. Of nine possible admissions considerations, it marked two as required: that the student have completed the college-preparatory course program the institution requires and letters of recommendation. Other elements are not required, but it does consider them if you submit them: the high school record, grade point average, personal essay, a formal demonstration of abilities, and whether a family member previously attended the school. Regarding that last item: if it does not apply to your family, do not spend energy on it. Spend that energy on what is within your control.
The published application fee is $150.
And now the number that probably interests you most: in the 2023 cycle, Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov received 438 first-time applications and offered admission to 385. That is 88 out of every 100. Among schools that do accept applications with requirements, it admits the great majority of applicants. Its comparison group is small—only 46 private two-year schools reported this data point—so I am not going to tell you exactly where it ranks within that group; with so few schools, that comparison would not be honest.
Being likely to get in does not make what comes next easy. That 88% applies to the entire school and a single cycle. It does not say how much it will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific program that interests your daughter has its own separate screening process. Those three questions must be asked separately, and in the following sections I will help you with two of them.
Of those admitted, 67 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled. Do not read this as applause or as a sign of quality: the data point contains no explanation of why people decided to enroll. What is useful is this: if your daughter receives an acceptance, ask that same day when the deposit is due and whether the deadline can be extended while you wait for letters from other schools. The fact that many others enrolled quickly does not mean your daughter should sign in a rush.
Regarding standardized tests, the school reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in its admissions decision, even if they are submitted. This field does not cover whether the school uses them for scholarships or course placement; that must be asked separately.
Regarding transfers, in the fall of 2023, the school received 66 undergraduate students who entered there for the first time after studying at another institution. Among private two-year schools in this census, that number places it in the upper half. It is a count of people, not a proportion, and it depends on the school's size. How many credits the school accepted for those students is another question, and it must be asked directly.
Money: What It Costs and What Is Actually Paid
At Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov, among 97 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $16,659. Among 25 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $16,438; among 1 student with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $14,716. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income and their own.
The highest-income band, calculated using 1 student, ended with an average of $14,716, below the $16,659 calculated using 97 students in the lowest-income band. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $16,607.
$16,659 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
It is unusual for the highest-income band to come out below the lowest-income band, and it does not mean your family will have the same result. The income bands on this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. Run the net price calculator on the school's website using your actual numbers.
Financial Aid and a Figure You Almost Never See
This is perhaps the most notable part of the entire report, so I will give it to you directly.
96 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students at Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Here, receiving aid is common, not the exception. The average amount of that aid, counting only those who received it, was $6,338 per year. And the federal Pell Grant, intended for students with demonstrated financial need, reached 76 out of every 100 students. Do not read this high number as a personal promise: it is what happened with other students in the 2022-23 school year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, the deadlines, and what happens to the grant if grades decline.
And now the fact I want you to understand clearly: in the 2022-23 school year, Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov recorded not a single undergraduate student with a federal student loan. Zero. The percentage is reported as zero, and the average amount is blank because there is no one to include in the average. Compared with the 256 private two-year schools in this census, federal loans are used less here than at almost all of them: nine out of ten of those schools, or more, had a higher proportion of students with loans.
The fact that the data says zero does not mean money is not needed here. It means that no federal loans appear in this report. I recommend calling directly and asking whether the school processes federal loans and how students pay for what grants and scholarships do not cover. In addition, this count includes only federal loans in the student's name. Parent PLUS loans signed by parents and any private debt are excluded. What a family ultimately owes may be considerably more than this number reveals.
The institution also reports that an installment tuition payment plan is available.
Campus Life, Athletics, and Support Services
This school does not have its own housing. It offers no dormitories or apartments under its control, either on or off campus, and it does not report meal plans. That does not mean the official financial aid budget ignores this expense: IPEDS does collect estimates for off-campus housing and food to calculate the total cost of attendance. Ask for the specific budget the financial aid office would use.
No ROTC is reported in any of its three branches. Of the two-year institutions in this guide, 45 out of 843 did indicate some ROTC opportunity; this school was not among them. If this matters to your family because of a scholarship or career interest, do not rule it out without first asking admissions directly: the field shows what was reported, not everything that exists.
There are also no intercollegiate sports and no affiliation with any national athletic association (NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, USCAA, NCCAA). If athletics are part of your daughter's plan, this carries weight. Ask whether there are intramural leagues or clubs; a club is not the same as a college team.
There is no distance education: not a single course, either at the undergraduate or graduate level. If your daughter works or cares for someone at home, her schedule would have to fit entirely in person.
The library has paid staff, with annual expenditures below $100,000, and both physical and digital collections. It does not offer interlibrary loan service, so anything not in its collection cannot be obtained that way. If your daughter enters a program in which research is central, ask how the school obtains materials that are not in its own catalog.
Regarding general support, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for those who complete their programs, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities.
How Many Stay and How Many Finish
Here we come to the hardest part to read, and I am going to give it to you without softening it, because it is what you most need in order to decide with your eyes open.
Of the cohort that entered for the first time, full time, in the fall of 2022—269 people—171 met the official retention criterion: 64 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed their program one year later. Among private two-year schools in this census, this places it near the bottom: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, retained a higher proportion of their cohort. The data does not separate those who are still studying from those who have already graduated, nor does it explain what happened to the rest.
The graduation rate, following the cohort that entered in 2020, full time and for the first time: 61 out of every 100 completed a program at this institution within 150% of normal time. This is a historical cohort, not a prediction. It does not include students who transferred in or those who started part time.
And here is the number I most want you to consider calmly and clearly, because this article's outline identifies it as central: following a cohort of 337 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, as of August 2023—eight years later—only 39 out of every 100 held a degree or certificate from this school. 61 out of every 100 did not. Among the 183 private two-year schools in this census that report this data point, Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov ranks at the very bottom of the table: nine out of ten of those schools, or more, reported a higher proportion at eight years.
There is a nuance within that same number that is worth knowing: among students in that cohort who received a Pell Grant, 47 out of every 100 did finish with a degree or certificate from this school, 15 points above the group that did not receive Pell. The data says what happened, not why it happened.
I am not going to soften this or tell you that eight years is "enough time for anyone." The number is there, it applies to the entire school, and it does not explain the reasons. What you can do is ask directly what happened with that cohort, what specific support exists today to help a student finish, and make sure your daughter's list has more than one option, not just this one.
How This Fits Into Your Family's Decision
You now know, from official data and without embellishment, what kind of institution Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov is: small, specific, with an admissions policy that says yes to the great majority of applicants, no federal loans recorded among its students, and an eight-year completion rate that ranks among the lowest in its comparison group.
None of these numbers makes the decision for you. The acceptance rate does not tell you whether the program that interests your daughter exists or has its own screening process. The net price for other families is not your family's net price. And a low completion rate does not predict what your daughter in particular will do, although it is a question that deserves to be asked aloud before signing anything.
You now know one of the pieces of the map in depth. Combine it with what your daughter wants to study, what she has built up to this point, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Seminar L'moros Bais Yaakov or the federal government; this article organizes and explains public data and is not a substitute for direct verification with the institution.