I am not going to tell you whether Simmons is “the right one” for your child. No article can decide that. But if, when you finish reading, you clearly understand what kind of school it is, how much it really costs, how difficult it is to get in, who stays and who leaves, and what questions you still need to ask, then this piece has done its job. You fill in the rest—what your child wants to study, what they have already built, and what your family can afford.
What Kind of University It Is and Where It Stands
Simmons University is a private, nonprofit university offering programs of four years or more, located in Boston, Massachusetts, within Suffolk County and the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metropolitan area. The census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is in the heart of the city or in a quiet corner, or what the actual route to the classrooms is like. If your child is thinking about living at home, the only way to know is to drive that route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. A map always misrepresents the actual travel time a little.
The Carnegie system, which organizes colleges and universities in the United States according to what they do, places it among doctoral and professional universities. In its classification based on 2019-20 data, it appears as a medium-sized, highly residential, four-year school: at that time, at least half of its undergraduate degree-seeking students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. The same system, in its 2021 version, places it among institutions that enroll many transfer students, and its graduate profile classifies it as offering research doctoral degrees. These are historical snapshots, not a portrait of today. If your child is thinking about coming here after studying at another institution, the practical instruction is simple: ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. The “enrolls many transfer students” label does not tell you how many credits people arrive with or how many are lost along the way.
IPEDS records it as a nonprofit, degree-granting institution offering primarily bachelor’s degrees or higher, with the doctoral degree as the highest level it reports offering. That is an institutional fact, not a program map: it does not tell you whether the exact major your child is interested in exists or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be asked program by program.
And there is something worth clarifying before we continue: Simmons is not recorded as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a Tribal College or University, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; Simmons is not among them. That says nothing about which communities it serves today, how many Latino students there are, or how your child will feel walking around that campus. You investigate that by asking about current cultural centers and student organizations and by talking with someone who is already there.
Do not rule it out or choose it because of the sticker price you will see later. Ask in writing how much your family would pay after scholarships and aid. That is the number that actually should be compared across universities.
The Community’s Actual Size and Who Makes It Up
In the fall of 2023, Simmons University had 5,053 enrolled students. It is neither a tiny school nor a giant one: it falls within the official band of between 5,000 and 9,999 students. Compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census that report the data, it is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten schools in that group have more students.
But there is something that changes the meaning of that large number: of those 5,053 students, only 1,760 are undergraduates. The other 3,293 are graduate students. At this school, graduate enrollment outweighs undergraduate enrollment. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that really matters is not 5,053. It is 1,760.
For reporting purposes, IPEDS also calculates an institutional full-time equivalent enrollment of 3,628 students and records 362 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking undergraduate students. That last group is not the entire class entering each year; it is a specific federal definition used by other indicators later in this article.
As for who those undergraduate students are: 15 out of every 100 reported being Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023. They are not the majority, but neither are they a rare case. Compared with the 941 selective private schools in this census, that representation is above the midpoint of the group but below the highest quartile. Be careful with this comparison: the peer group is based on school type and control, not state, and that matters greatly here because Massachusetts does not have the same demographic composition as other states. The comparison also does not go down to the level of a specific major; it covers the entire school.
Students ages 25 to 64 are a minority among undergraduates: 12 out of every 100. And there is one fact worth stating plainly: the undergraduate count records zero men, so the percentage of women is 100. Just over half of incoming students, 57 out of every 100, reported a permanent address in the same state as the institution when they applied for admission.
How the Academic Year Is Structured and How Broad the Offerings Are
Simmons operates on a semester calendar: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution stated that it accepts credit from AP examinations and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, previous licenses or certifications, or military, government, or professional opportunities. Reporting both pathways does not mean your child will automatically receive credit through them. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling, and do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand. The institution also reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
In the most recent year it reports, Simmons awarded 441 bachelor’s degrees across 21 fields of study families—what the government calls CIP families—even though some of those rows report zero degrees. The family with by far the most degrees was health professions: 163 of the 441, or 37 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, Simmons falls within the quartile with the most fields of study families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail. But 21 families with rows in the report do not mean 21 actual majors or 21 families with a positive number of degrees: one family groups multiple programs, and some rows are zero. If your child is interested in something specific, verify the exact program, not the general family.
As for attention in the classroom, Simmons reports a ratio of 9 full-time equivalent students for every full-time equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, that places it in the bottom quartile, meaning among the lowest reported ratios. But a low ratio is not the same as small classes: the number relates students to staff in the aggregate; it does not count seats in a specific classroom. If this matters to you, ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
The Doors It Already Reports as Open
The institution reports structured academic opportunities beyond the traditional classroom: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, the opportunity to complete preparation here in certain teacher-specialization areas, and state approval of its program for initial teacher certification. These are doors the school says it has open. Which ones are useful to your child depends on what they want to build.
What It Takes to Get In: The Application, Selectivity, and What Happens Next
This is where many families get nervous, so let’s proceed calmly and use the exact numbers.
Simmons does not have open admission. It reviews several components before saying yes. Of the nine admission considerations covered by this report—not including standardized tests or legacy status—it marked six as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory curriculum required by the university, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency examination when applicable. It also considers, without requiring, the student’s class rank and whether a family member attended the institution. Your child cannot change that last factor—legacy status. If it does not apply to their situation, do not spend energy thinking about it; spend that energy on what is within their control.
The published undergraduate application fee is $61.
In the 2023 cycle, Simmons received 4,871 first-time undergraduate applications and offered admission to 3,215 applicants. That is 66 out of every 100: a middle-range rate, slightly below the midpoint of the group when compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census. Admission is not guaranteed, but neither is it a closed lottery. The application is reviewed thoroughly.
And here is a fact worth confronting directly because it is often misunderstood: out of every 100 students Simmons admitted, only 11 enrolled. Put another way, of every nine young people who received a yes, roughly one ultimately took the place. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, that proportion is on the low side: at seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, a larger share of admitted students enrolled.
Do not read this as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose, and what others decided tells you nothing about what your child will be offered. The only thing that really matters is your own letter with your own net price. With that number in hand, you can decide whether Simmons stays on the list.
As for tests, Simmons reported that the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains active just the same. Among students who enrolled and submitted an SAT score—19 out of every 100 in the enrolled cohort—the middle half scored between 640 and 710 in reading and writing and between 590 and 680 in mathematics. Those numbers come from students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores; they do not cover all applicants and do not prove that a score was used to admit anyone. That 640 is not a minimum, and that 710 does not guarantee anything either.
And regarding transfers: among the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 101 transferred to another institution without completing at Simmons within 150% of normal time. That is 25 out of every 100: a large share, and the report does not say why any of them left. Compared with the 542 selective private schools in this census, that proportion is just above the midpoint of the group. On the other hand, in the fall of 2023, 126 students entered Simmons for the first time after having studied at another institution. Keep this fact in mind when we reach the graduation rates: a student who transfers does not count as a Simmons graduate, even if they finish their degree elsewhere. And the fact that many students transfer does not mean they did poorly here; the report counts the movement, not the outcome.
The Sticker Price, Without Embellishment
At Simmons University, among 41 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 $19,518. Among 48 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $22,473; among 112 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $33,812. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band of 41 students and the average for the highest-income band of 112 students is $14,294. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant aid, the average was $29,575.
$19,518 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in 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 for students receiving scholarship or grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The financial aid letter you receive is what governs.
The Aid It Reports and the Debt That Comes With It
At Simmons, 95 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students received some scholarship or grant aid that does not have to be repaid. Here, receiving something is the norm, not the exception. Among those who received it, the annual average was $31,919. That number does not mean everyone received exactly that amount: it includes people who received much more and people who received considerably less. The federal Pell Grant, intended for students with demonstrated financial need, reached 30 out of every 100 students.
Now for the loan portion, which is where many families need greater clarity. In the 2022-23 school year, 64 out of every 100 Simmons undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, that proportion is on the high side: seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, had an equal or smaller share of students who borrowed.
Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,822 that school year. Financing with debt is common here. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year over the four years in the plan, the total would be close to $27,288, not counting interest. That calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end of the road.
And there is something this figure does not cover: it is for only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt from private banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has when they graduate; that would require adding all four full years, and that number does not appear in this report.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. What your child would actually need to borrow comes from their own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
As for payment options, the institution reports that a tuition installment payment plan is available.
Campus Life, Learning Format, and Reported Support
Simmons does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported capacity of 1,039 students, either on or off campus. It does not require all full-time, first-time students to live there. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week is not fixed and varies by the plan you choose. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed is available, and the existence of a meal plan does not mean it is included in the basic package. Ask in writing for this year’s rate, the deadline to apply for a room, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, in its 2023 report, Simmons did not mark any opportunity—not the general box or any of the three specific service branches. Of the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 marked at least one ROTC opportunity; Simmons was not among them. This does not prove that no related pathway exists near campus, only that none was marked in this specific field. If that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions directly before assuming it is unavailable.
In sports, Simmons does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, not the other associations named in the report. It reports membership for basketball and cross-country or track and field. This does not identify every current team, the division in which each sport competes, or whether athletic scholarships are available. If sports are part of your child’s plan, write directly to the coach and request the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education, Simmons does offer it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the fall count, 10 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load through distance education, while the other 90 took at least one class in person. The institution also reported that it offers at least one complete distance education program, although the report does not specify whether that complete program is at the undergraduate or graduate level. Confirm the exact level and major if this is relevant to your child.
The library operates with employed staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It reports physical facilities, print and digital collections, trained staff, established hours, and access to collections shared with other institutions through interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee the existence of specific databases for your child’s major; ask about those by the name of the major.
Finally, the institution reports these support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not by itself establish their quality or actual effectiveness; you learn that by speaking with someone who currently uses them.
Who Stays, Who Finishes, and What Those Numbers Mean
Here we reach the part every family asks about most: if a student enrolls, do they stay? Do they graduate?
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time students who entered in the fall of 2022—395 people—323 met the official retention criterion one year later: 82 out of every 100 were still enrolled at Simmons or had already completed their bachelor’s degree. Compared with the 930 selective private schools in this census, that places it just above the midpoint of the group: neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
This number has two limitations worth keeping in mind. It counts only those who began as bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, no one else. And not returning is not the same as dropping out: a student who transferred to another university and is still studying there counts the same in this figure as someone who stopped studying altogether.
Regarding graduation, the cohort that began a bachelor’s degree in 2017—400 first-time, full-time students—was followed for six years. By the end of that period, 285 of them had earned the degree: 71 out of every 100. At four years, the figure was already 67 out of every 100, only 4 points below the final six-year result. Compared with the 920 selective private schools in this census, Simmons is in the top quartile: three out of every four of those schools, or more, had an equal or smaller share of graduates.
It is worth examining the exact breakdown of that same cohort of 400: 285 completed a bachelor’s degree here; none completed a program of less than four years here; 101 transferred without completing at Simmons; 3 remained enrolled without completing within the period; and 11 were in the federal “no longer enrolled” category at the cutoff, a category that does not report the reason and may include people who finished after the time limit considered.
A high number is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort of 2017. What is within your control, beginning with the first semester, is ensuring that your child starts with their credits in order, knows who their academic adviser is, and knows when to register for the courses required by their major.
There is one final, even longer view: IPEDS followed for eight years a cohort of 628 undergraduate students—first-time students and students with prior postsecondary experience, both full-time and part-time—who entered Simmons between July 2015 and June 2016. As of the August 2023 cutoff, 76 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 73 out of every 100, four points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Compared with the 935 selective private schools in this census, Simmons is also in the top quartile on this indicator.
Once again, a high percentage does not predict the outcome for a specific person. It describes a cohort that entered more than a decade ago. It is worth asking directly about current program support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts if that helps you make a more informed decision.
What This Article Cannot Know
This article does not discuss what happens after graduation—employment, salaries, or total accumulated debt. Those data come from other sources and are not part of this report.
To Close
That piece does not depend on you or your child; it depends on the university and how it reports its data to the federal government.
The other two pieces do depend on you. What your child wants to study, how they imagine living, and how much sports, ROTC, or distance learning matter to them: your child builds that. And what your family can and is willing to pay, how much debt you are willing to take on, and whether it is worth waiting for the financial aid letter before crossing this school off the list: you decide that calmly, with the real numbers in hand rather than the sticker price that looks frightening at first glance.
Put the three pieces together and you will finally have a real plan.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) reports from the United States Department of Education, corresponding to different years and cohorts as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Simmons University or any government agency; this piece is informational and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.