Pratt Institute-Main: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Ithaca, New York · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025

Acceptance rate
70%
12,400 applicants
Avg SAT
1310
Mid 50: 1230–1370
In-state tuition
$50,510
per year, before aid
Net price (avg)
$32,965
after aid, what families pay

Pratt Institute-Main is a private institution located in Ithaca, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Pratt Institute-Main admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 70%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT around 1285. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $32,965 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Pratt Institute-Main is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.

What GPA does my child need for Pratt Institute-Main?

Pratt Institute-Main admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.

Actual GPA distribution of admitted students
From the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Pratt Institute-Main.

What does Pratt Institute-Main weight in admissions?

Pratt Institute-Main reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.

Very Important2 factors
  • Rigor of secondary school record
  • Academic GPA
Important5 factors
  • Application essay
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Talent/ability
  • Character/personal qualities
Considered7 factors
  • Class rank
  • Standardized test scores
  • First generation status
  • Alumni/ae relation
  • Volunteer work
  • Work experience
  • Level of applicant's interest
Not Considered4 factors
  • Interview
  • Geographical residence
  • State residency
  • Religious affiliation/commitment

SAT and ACT scores Pratt Institute-Main typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 580–670, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.

SAT Composite
25th percentile1230
50th percentile1310
75th percentile1370
% submitting SAT19.8%
ACT Composite
25th percentile27
50th percentile28
75th percentile30
% submitting ACT4.9%
Current testing policy
  • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
  • • Policy detail: Considered if submitted

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

Top 10% of class24.7%
Top 25% of class55.5%
Top 50% of class86.3%
% submitting class rank27.8%

How much does Pratt Institute-Main actually cost?

Published tuition is $50,510 for in-state students and $50,510 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,030 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $32,965 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.

In-state tuition$56,752
Room and board$16,354
Average net price (after aid)$32,965
Application fee$60 (waivers available)

Application deadlines and early decision data for Pratt Institute-Main

Regular admission
Regular deadlineFebruary 1
Notification dateApril 15
Reply deadlineMay 1
Rolling admissionsYes
Early admission
Offers Early DecisionYes
ED deadlineNovember 1
ED acceptance rate81%
Offers Early ActionYes
EA deadlineDecember 1

Will my child graduate from Pratt Institute-Main?

Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.

Freshman retention
84.7%
returned for sophomore year
4-year graduation
66%
finished on time
6-year graduation
76.1%
finished within 6 years

Other colleges in New York parents ask about

How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Pratt Institute-Main

Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Pratt Institute-Main recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.

Common questions parents ask about Pratt Institute-Main

What GPA do I need for Pratt Institute-Main?

Pratt Institute-Main admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.

What SAT or ACT score does Pratt Institute-Main typically admit?

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 580–670, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31.

How much does Pratt Institute-Main actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Pratt Institute-Main after grants and scholarships is $32,965 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.

Is Pratt Institute-Main realistic for my child?

Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Pratt Institute-Main is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.

Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Pratt Institute-Main, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.