Harrison is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students
SUNY at Purchase College (3,180 students on campus) and Manhattanville University (1,954) are inside the town, and SUNY Westchester Community College (8,011) is 4.8 miles from the center, in Greenburgh. Across New York, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Harrison. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
22
72,547 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Manhattanville University
Residents in college
16%
Above NY (7%)
Nearest community college
4.8 mi
SUNY Westchester · $5,948 tuition
Nearest public university
1.9 mi
SUNY at Purchase College · $8,953 in-state
Students on campus in Harrison
5,134
next to 32,273 residents
What stands out about college in Harrison
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 4.2% of Harrison residents are below the poverty line, 4.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 6% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.
Cost of living
The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.
Health
CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Harrison’s median age is 37.2 (New York 39.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.
Safety
Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.
Every college
Colleges within 15 miles of Harrison
17 private colleges within 14.5 miles, four public colleges within 14.7 miles, and three community colleges.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at Over $110k, where Harrison’s median household income ($164,250) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Harrison: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
St. Thomas Aquinas College54% graduate$63k earnings$23k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: University of Connecticut-Stamford (5).
Majors
What students study in Harrison
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Harrison’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftSUNY at Purchase College · 139 graduates a year
$40k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralSUNY at Purchase College · 61 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesSUNY at Purchase College · 59 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsManhattanville University · 56 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
MusicSUNY at Purchase College · 49 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementSUNY at Purchase College · 48 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsSUNY at Purchase College · 47 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessManhattanville University · 45 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Harrison
Is Harrison a college town?
Yes. 16 of every 100 Harrison residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across New York. SUNY at Purchase College has 3,180 students on campus, next to 32,273 residents.
What colleges are in Harrison?
SUNY at Purchase College and Manhattanville University are inside the town. SUNY Westchester Community College is 4.8 miles from the center, in Greenburgh.
What is the closest community college to Harrison, and what does it cost?
SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla, 4.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,948 a year for New York residents; the federal net price, $9,373, counts housing and food at full cost.
How hard is it to get into SUNY at Purchase College?
SUNY at Purchase College admitted 74% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,185–1,380 on the SAT.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Harrison. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Photo: Copperhead7 · CC BY 3.0