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Poughkeepsie, NY with evening balloon take-off-cropPhoto: Juliancolton · Public domain
Colleges in and near Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie is a college town: 18 of every 100 residents are students

Marist University (5,951 students on campus) and Dutchess Community College (5,448) are inside the town. Across New York, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town18% of residents are studentsVassar CollegeMarist UniversityDutchess Community 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 Poughkeepsie. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
26,110 students on campus
Nearest college
1.6 mi
Vassar College
Residents in college
18%
Above NY (7%)
Nearest community college
4 mi
Dutchess · $5,670 tuition
Nearest public university
10.2 mi
SUNY New Paltz · $8,572 in-state
Students on campus in Poughkeepsie
13,855
next to 45,986 residents

What stands out about college in Poughkeepsie

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town18 of every 100 Poughkeepsie residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.Three colleges within 4 milesVassar College admits 19% of applicants; Marist University admits 57%. Together they have 13,855 students on campus.A community college 4 miles awayDutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie: tuition and fees $5,670 a year for New York residents.In-state price at SUNY New PaltzLiving in New York, State University of New York at New Paltz charges $8,572 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,822. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Poughkeepsie

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

18 of every 100 Poughkeepsie residents are in college (NY: 7).

13,855students on campus at Poughkeepsie’s 3 colleges, next to 45,986 residents (dorm students count as residents)
2,491college students live in Poughkeepsie households rather than dorms
37.7median age · NY 39.8
34%of homes rented · NY 46%
$1,677median rent · 3% above the state
PoughkeepsiePoughkeepsie, NY
Cost of living$1,677/mo median rentDSafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Poughkeepsie’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 8.4% of Poughkeepsie residents are below the poverty line, 6.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 36% 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 D

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 18%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Poughkeepsie’s median age is 37.7 (New York 39.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

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 Poughkeepsie

Four private colleges within 11.8 miles, one public college within 10.2 miles, and Dutchess Community College 4 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miSUNY New PaltzMarist UniversityDutchessPoughkeepsie
University or collegeCommunity college
Vassar CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,456 on campus · In Poughkeepsie19%admitted$39knet price91%graduate$71kearningsMarist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,951 on campus · In Poughkeepsie57%admitted$42knet price80%graduate$78kearningsDutchess Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,448 on campus · In Poughkeepsie$10knet price30%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $5,670 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Culinary Institute of AmericaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,015 on campus · 5.6 mi · Hyde Park91%admitted$36knet price63%graduate$47kearningsState University of New York at New PaltzUniversity or college · Public · 7,050 on campus · 10.2 mi · New Paltz62%admitted$19knet price72%graduate$58kearningsMount Saint Mary CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,190 on campus · 11.8 mi · Newburgh89%admitted$26knet price65%graduate$68kearnings

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 $75–110k, where Poughkeepsie’s median household income ($97,724) falls.

Dutchess Community CollegeIn Poughkeepsie · sticker $17,159 · tuition $5,670$14,886a year
State University of New York at New Paltz10.2 mi · New Paltz · sticker $28,428$21,937a year
Vassar CollegeIn Poughkeepsie · sticker $87,419$25,773a year
Mount Saint Mary College11.8 mi · Newburgh · sticker $55,014$28,722a year
Culinary Institute of America5.6 mi · Hyde Park · sticker $58,790$38,087a year
Marist UniversityIn Poughkeepsie · sticker $67,574$42,001a year

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 Poughkeepsie: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Vassar CollegeMarist UniversityDutchessCulinary Institute of AmericaSUNY New PaltzMount Saint Mary College
State University of New York at New Paltz72% graduate$58k earnings$19k typical debt
Marist University80% graduate$78k earnings$25k typical debt
Dutchess Community College30% graduate$44k earnings$10k typical debt
Culinary Institute of America63% graduate$47k earnings$16k typical debt
Vassar College91% graduate$71k earnings$19k typical debt
Mount Saint Mary College65% graduate$68k earnings$26k 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.

Majors

What students study in Poughkeepsie

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Poughkeepsie’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 18%Liberal arts 11%Biology 7%Communication 6%Psychology 6%Visual & performing arts 6%Everything else 47%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and OperationsMarist University · 291 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesDutchess Community College · 291 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesMarist University · 204 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralMarist University · 125 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsDutchess Community College · 107 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsMarist University · 104 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralMarist University · 78 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
EconomicsVassar College · 59 graduates a year
$103k4 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 Poughkeepsie

Is Poughkeepsie a college town?

Yes. 18 of every 100 Poughkeepsie residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across New York. Marist University has 5,951 students on campus, next to 45,986 residents.

What colleges are in Poughkeepsie?

Marist University, Dutchess Community College and Vassar College are inside the town.

Why is Poughkeepsie’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 8.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 6.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Poughkeepsie, and what does it cost?

Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, 4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,670 a year for New York residents; the federal net price, $10,065, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Marist University?

Marist University admitted 57% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,190–1,340 on the SAT.

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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 Poughkeepsie. 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 →