Is Ithaca College a Good School? Ranking, Academics, and More
Ithaca College, a private institution established in 1892, consistently earns recognition as a top-tier higher education institution. This article delves into the various factors that contribute to Ithaca College's reputation, including its rankings, academic programs, campus environment, and student life.
Rankings and Recognition
In the edition of Best Colleges, Ithaca College is ranked #13 in Regional Universities North. The Princeton Review has repeatedly included Ithaca College in its annual guide, "The Best Colleges," highlighting its outstanding academic programs and impressive student feedback. In the 2026 edition, Ithaca College was recognized by Princeton Review and also ranked among the top institutions in several categories, including:
- Best College Newspaper
- Best College Theater
- Best College Radio Station
- Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation
U.S. News & World Report also places Ithaca College among the top institutions of its kind, giving it particularly good grades for teaching and innovation. These rankings consider factors such as first-year student retention rates, graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, graduate indebtedness, graduate earnings, and peer assessment.
Ithaca College was ranked #2 for Best Undergraduate Teaching, which identifies schools whose faculty and administrators are committed to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner. The college was also ranked #8 for Most Innovative Schools, signifying the institutions that are making cutting-edge developments in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities.
Academics
Ithaca College offers a wide array of academic programs across its five schools:
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- School of Business
- School of Health Sciences & Human Performance
- School of Humanities & Sciences
- School of Music
- Roy H. Park School of Communications
More than 100 degree programs are offered across its five schools in total, teaching across the liberal arts disciplines, as well as several pre-professional programs. The Roy H. Park School of Communications is particularly well-known for its teaching in journalism, media, film, and entertainment. Ithaca College offers doctoral degrees in physical therapy and occupational therapy.
The student-faculty ratio at Ithaca College is 11:1, allowing for small class sizes that afford plenty of personal attention. Professors are engaging and passionate about their fields, presenting material in a relevant and meaningful way. Students appreciate the opportunity to pursue interests that are not necessarily a part of their chosen course of study.
Campus Environment and Sustainability
Ithaca College's campus spans 670 acres in a suburban setting. The college is known for its picturesque beauty, although students joke about the challenging hills between classes.
IC continually endeavors to integrate sustainability into its academic offerings and operations. Ithaca College was the first academic institution in the world to achieve LEED Platinum Certification alongside Yale University, a measure of sustainability. Over 50 percent of building energy comes from renewable sources and dining hall waste is composted. The college is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and has been named one of America’s top colleges for renewable energy by the Environment America Research & Policy Center. The Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise is one of four LEED-certified buildings on campus.
Student Life
The number of extracurricular choices is "considerable" at Ithaca College. There are more than 200 student-led organizations-from performance to recreation to affinity, service, and professional clubs-offering opportunities to connect, collaborate, volunteer, philosophize, and create.
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IC’s student-run newspaper, The Ithacan, and radio stations, 92-WICB and VIC Radio, are based in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. They routinely win regional and national awards for their comprehensive news and sports coverage. Within the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, the Center for Theatre and Dance annually presents a number of main-stage productions as part of a vibrant campus and local community theatre scene.
The social situation at Ithaca is "nothing like the party scene you'd find at a larger university," but "there are some good parties" now and then. While the campus is a little "isolated," students also frequently manage to attend frat parties at Cornell and generally "enjoy the social scene" the nearby Ivy offers. "The town of Ithaca is quaint but lively," with "a good music scene and a lot of cool stores." When the weather is nice, "there's always some festival," or at least it seems that way. "If you're an outdoorsy person," the wooded and rocky surrounding area is a wonderland of activity. "The hiking here is unbelievable," and few other schools offer the opportunity to "go cliff jumping on a hot Saturday."
Admissions and Financial Aid
Ithaca College accepts the Common Application and has a test-optional admissions policy. The school's tuition and fees are $56,094. Sixty-two percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $35,552. The four-year graduation rate is 66%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $46,305.
Notable Alumni
Famous alumni have included the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor David Boreanaz, Grammy-nominated musician Gavin DeGraw, and Tony-nominated actress Kerry Butler.
Counseling and Wellness Resources
All Counseling Center Staff, as a condition of clinical licensure, have to regularly attend trainings on a wide variety of Ethics, Counseling Techniques, and Best Practices to obtain continuing education credits. These may be obtained through on-line training or via attendance to annual Conferences (including the American Group Psychotherapy Association, American University and College Counseling Center Directors group, and the Counseling Centers of New York). Likewise, there are annual staff development in-service trainings including, in the past year, didactic presentations on Eating Disorders, Neurodiversity, and Eco-Psychology Integration into Practice. There is a Health and Wellness themed Residence Hall community. In addition, all Resident Advisors are required to offer bulletin board and floor meeting events related to Sexual health, Substance use, and Mental/Physical Wellness. Counseling and Health Promotion staff are invited to present at floor meetings. Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, and Health Promotion graduate programs all have mental health components. First -year seminars have Counseling Center representatives come in for orientation to services. Student Leadership Institute offers workshops that include wellness programming (including stress management,relationship building). Students that attend at least 6 meetings get a Certificate in Leading that can be added to their resume.
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