“A hands-on, career-focused private college in New York's Finger Lakes, celebrated for excellence in communications, music, and health sciences.”
Ithaca College is a private, comprehensive liberal arts institution founded in 1892 as a conservatory of music, perched on a scenic 757-acre hillside campus overlooking Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, New York. Today, IC enrolls approximately 4,200 students across five distinct professional schools and has grown into one of the most student-centered institutions in the Northeast. Consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report and second nationally in Best Undergraduate Teaching, Ithaca places students in professional settings early and often, with an ethos of learning by doing that permeates every discipline. The college's five schools each carry a distinctive identity. The Roy H. Park School of Communications is widely regarded as one of the premier undergraduate communications schools in the country, producing graduates who lead careers in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, documentary film, and digital media. The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance offers conservatory-caliber training alongside a liberal arts foundation, drawing aspiring performers and producers from around the world. The School of Health Sciences and Human Performance houses highly competitive programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and exercise science, with exceptional licensure exam outcomes. The School of Business and the School of Humanities and Sciences complete a well-balanced academic portfolio spanning 140-plus programs across sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Life at Ithaca College benefits from one of the most celebrated college towns in the United States. Ranked the number-one college town in America, Ithaca offers a vibrant arts, food, and music scene, access to stunning gorges and waterfalls in the Finger Lakes region, and proximity to neighboring Cornell University. Students compete in NCAA Division III athletics as the Bombers in the Liberty League, participate in more than 200 clubs and organizations, and tap into an extensive alumni network spanning media, healthcare, business, and the performing arts. New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston are all within a few hours, providing rich internship and career access for students across every discipline.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Regional Universities North
US News 2026
Best Undergraduate Teaching (National)
US News 2026
Most Innovative Schools
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Decision
Binding; decisions released approximately December 15
Early Action
Non-binding
Regular Decision
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$56,094
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
One of the nation's top undergraduate communications schools, with state-of-the-art production facilities and strong industry connections in journalism, film, PR, and digital media.
Conservatory-level training integrated with a liberal arts perspective, spanning performance, composition, musical theatre, and dance.
Highly competitive professional programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and exercise science with exceptional national licensure outcomes.
Career-focused business programs preparing students for roles in finance, marketing, management, accounting, and sport management.
The college's broadest academic school, spanning sciences, social sciences, and humanities from biology and psychology to philosophy and political science.
4 years
Housed in the Park School with industry-standard production facilities, this program trains students in cinematography, directing, editing, and visual storytelling, with graduates working across Hollywood studios, streaming platforms, and documentary film.
4 years
A conservatory-level BM program offering rigorous technique instruction alongside liberal arts breadth, with concentrations in instrumental, vocal, and jazz performance and access to world-class faculty practitioners.
6 years
A highly selective six-year combined BS/DPT program with consistently high national licensure exam pass rates and extensive clinical placement partnerships across the Northeast.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $53,540
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
