Syracuse: the complete school report for parents
Syracuse rates 7 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and the essay. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider legacy, so family connections carry no weight. With a 48.8% admit rate and 72% of enrolled students at a 3.50 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Finance and Financial Management Services graduates earn a median $109,595 against $41,457 for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.
Syracuse is officially Syracuse University. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Syracuse a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Syracuse against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Syracuse actually weigh in admissions?
Syracuse rates 7 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Syracuse's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Syracuse rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Important |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Important |
| demonstrated interest | Important |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Important |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Important |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Syracuse consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Syracuse consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Syracuse consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Syracuse consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Syracuse consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Syracuse consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Syracuse consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Syracuse consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Syracuse consider class rank?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Syracuse consider demonstrated interest?
Yes. It is an important factor. Visits, emails and opened mail are tracked and counted, so engage early.
Does Syracuse consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Syracuse consider legacy status?
No. Syracuse does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Syracuse consider being first-generation?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Syracuse consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Syracuse consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Syracuse consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Syracuse consider work experience?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Syracuse consider religious affiliation?
No. Syracuse does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
72% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.71 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.65% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 29.46% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 20.43% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 21.85% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 15.02% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 10.42% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 2.43% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.4% |
What is the Syracuse waitlist really like?
Syracuse offered a place on its waiting list to 14,242 applicants and 6,530 accepted one. 2,039 were ultimately admitted. That is 31.2% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Syracuse admitted 50.1% of 1,608 transfer applicants, against 48.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 55.7% of ED applicants were admitted against 48.8% overall, a gap of 7 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 5 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 15 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 5 |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | November 1 |
| Application fee | $85 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Syracuse actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $38,793 a year at Syracuse after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $69,180. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 96% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,233 merit awards averaging $26,259 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
47% of Syracuse graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $39,532 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $276 a month in repayment. Syracuse’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Syracuse pay off?
Graduates earn a median $79,164 ten years after entering, and $60,459 at six years. 84% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 79% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$109,595 to $41,457, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Syracuse:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $109,595 | 227 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $101,760 | 101 |
| Information Science/Studies | $101,251 | 188 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $96,698 | 128 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $83,644 | 198 |
| Economics | $82,376 | 226 |
| Marketing | $82,019 | 136 |
| Public Administration | $74,419 | 85 |
| Journalism | $72,696 | 123 |
| Psychology, General | $63,889 | 265 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $51,299 | 46 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $41,457 | 61 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
92% of first-years return for a second year. 69% graduate within four years and 81% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 75.9% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 80.2% of everyone else, a gap of 4.3 points.
How big are the classes?
60% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 4% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 15:1, and 68% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Syracuse like?
16,149 undergraduates, 65% of first-years from out of state. 97.5% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 51% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 25.02% of men join a fraternity and 42.39% of women a sorority. 19% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $75,289.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 72% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.71. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 2,039 of 6,530 who waited were admitted, about 31%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $109,595 five years out against $41,457 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Syracuse
What GPA do you need for Syracuse?
72% of enrolled students at Syracuse had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.71, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Syracuse waitlist move?
6,530 students accepted a place on the Syracuse waiting list and 2,039 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Syracuse graduates earn?
Syracuse graduates earn a median $79,164 ten years after entering, and 84% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Syracuse
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Syracuse’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.