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Lesley University

7.7(1)
VerifiedPrivate (Not for Profit)Estd. 1909
Founded
1909
Type
Private (Not for Profit)

About Lesley University

Lesley University was founded in 1909 as a school to train teachers. Over time it started offering programs in various areas of study like art and design, business management, counseling and psychology, education, expressive therapies, humanities, science and mathematics, and social sciences.

Lesley University offers admissions in Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral levels of study. It has 4 schools namely Graduate School of Education, College of Art and Design, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences.

Highlights

Type of University Private
Year of Establishment 1909
Campus Setting Urban
Total Enrollment 4,838
Student-Faculty Ratio 10:1

Lesley University Rankings

  • Ranked #246 in National Universities by U.S. News and World Report 2023.
  • Ranked #90 in Top Performers on Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report 2023.
  • Ranked #51 in Best College Location in America by Niche 2023.
  • Ranked #79 in Most Liberal Colleges in America by Niche in 2023.

Lesley University Campus

lesley university campus

The campus of Lesley University is spread across three interconnected areas namely Doble campus, Brattle campus and Porter campus.

  • More than 30 student-run organizations operate in the university.
  • There are 14 NCAA division III athletic teams in the University that participate in sports like baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track events and volleyball.

Residence Facilities at Lesley University

More than 60% of the undergraduate students live on the University’s campus in Cambridge. The University has 22 residence halls with a capacity to accommodate more than 900 students.

  • Housing options include traditional residence halls, suite-style apartments and Victorian-style housing.
  • Traditional style halls have rooms with shared bathrooms, cooking spaces and relaxing lounges.
  • Suite-style housing provides space for 4-8 students with a private share, large lounge, and kitchen with all facilities.
  • Victorian-style houses have space for 20-40 students with single, double and triple sharing rooms. Halls consist of a central lounge, kitchen and laundry.
  • Each room in the residence hall has common basic amenities that include internet access, single beds, window shades, dresser, wardrobe, closet space, desk and chair.

Programs offered at Lesley University

Lesley University offers programs across 35 undergraduate and 80 graduate areas of study along with professional development and continuing education, threshold programs and online programs.

  • Undergraduates of the University commonly apply for a program in business management, education, design, illustration, photography, psychology, and applied therapies or social sciences.
  • Majority of graduate students enroll for a program in education, clinical mental health counseling, expressive therapies or counseling and psychology.
  • Lectures are given in a small classroom setting with student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and not auditoriums.

Application Process

International students who want to seek admissions at the university can follow the below-mentioned application details:

Application Portal: Students can apply via the Common Application portal.

Application Deadline: For undergraduate admissions, the application deadline is December 1 and for graduate admissions, the application deadline is rolling.

Basic Admission Requirements:

  • High school GPA – 3.1 on 4.0
  • English proficiency test scores – International students whose native language is not English must take English proficiency tests and send their score to the university. The minimum requirements of these test scores are:
Exam Undergraduate/ Graduate
TOEFL - IBT 80
IELTS 6.5

Required Documents:

  • Recommendation letter
  • Scores of Exams to study in the USA
  • Resume
  • Personal Statement
  • Original Transcripts of the last attended institution

Cost of Attendance

The estimated cost of attendance for international students to study at the university is mentioned below:

Undergraduate students

Expense Estimated Cost
Tuition 14,250 USD
Room and Board 8740 USD
Fees 125 USD
Student Health Insurance 2798 USD

Graduate students

Expense Estimated Cost
Tuition 650 - 1160 USD/credit hour
Graduate Fees 2000 USD approx.
Student Health Insurance 5781 USD

Scholarships & Financial Aid for International Students

Lesley University has options for scholarships, grants, student employment and loans for helping students financially.

96% of the new undergraduate students received financial aid. Scholarships are offered to study in the USA. Grants are also offered for international students are given in the table below:

Name of Scholarship Eligibility Criteria Amount awarded
Lesley Merit Scholarship Applicant’s capability and academic records Variable
Urban Scholars Initiative On basis of financial aid 50% off tuition fee
Graduate Merit Scholarships Applicants of counseling and psychology master’s 12000 USD

Alumni Network

Lesley alumni members enjoy several benefits using an alumni ID card. These include 10% alumni discount on tuition fee of any on-campus courses, use career resources, Lesley’s Sherrill Library access, use fitness center, discount on purchases from Lesley University bookstore, opportunity to attend alumni events, savings on insurance taken from Liberty Mutual and Embrace Pet Insurance, discount on renting cars, cell phones, hotels, computer accessories etc.

Notable alumni of the University include: Shantel Hansen – filmmaker; Caroline Maguire – Parenting expert and ADHD coach; Kate Castelli – Chairperson of illustration and design; Craig Martin – Principal of the South Boston elementary school and many others.

Placements

95% of the graduates of bachelor’s degree 2018 batch were either employed or continued education. 94% of the Master’s program graduates of 2018 were either placed on jobs or they enrolled for further education.

Lesley University has an advantage of its location in Boston in terms of career for students. Boston is the no. 1 startup hub in the U.S. which provides immense internship opportunities for students.

Courses & Fees

Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way

Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.

Courses

41

Fee from

₹31,63,102.29

Exams

IELTS · TOEFL

Showing 5 of 27 bachelors

Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 31.2 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 33,326 /Yr
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page

Admission Process

The admissions at Lesley University are done on the basis of various criteria and after the completion of a simplified admission procedure. The acceptance rate at Lesley University is 75%. With small class size the students get lots of study options as per their fields of interests and education. Programs at Lesley University have a variety of courses including Undergraduate, Graduate, Online, Professional Development and Continuing education and Threshold Programs.

More than 6,000 students study across four colleges; a professionally-focused liberal arts college, an independent college of art and design, a graduate school of education, and a graduate school of social sciences as well as in the Threshold Program, a residential program for students with learning differences. About 90,000 alumni work in roles including mental health counselors, educators, expressive arts therapists, business leaders, social workers, designers, and visual artists.

  • The application cost at Lesley University is Nil and application mode is online through the university website.
  • The requirements regarding SAT/ACT scores vary from course to course.
  • The International students are required to clear the English Language Proficiency test
  • The students can join almost 2,000 undergraduate and 4,500 graduate students who are presently studying here.
  • SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score is 475.

Admission Updates/Covid Changes

Taking into account the Covid-19 situation, Lesley University has taken into account the following steps to ensure the safety of university students, staff and members:

  • For some courses GMAT has been waived off.
  • Apart from TOEFL/IELTS, Cambridge English exam can be given for English proficiency proof.
  • Both campus and housing residency has been opened at limited numbers for student convenience.
  • Also, students will be required to submit their Covid-19 test reports before joining the university.

Highlights

Application Portal Common Application or University site
Application Fee (non-refundable) UG-NIL, PG- Varies
Admission intake Deadlines given
Minimum SAT Score 475
Mode of Payment Credit/Debit card
Academic Calendar Semester
Intake Seasons Fall/Spring and summer
Work Experience Required in some courses
Acceptance rate 76%
Contact for international students [email protected]

Lesley University Admission Deadlines

The admissions in various programs have been accordingly stated below with respective deadlines:

Courses Deadline
Counselling – Masters May 1 (Fall), November 18 (Spring)
Education Masters May 1
Creative writing MFA November 15 (Spring), March 15 (Summer)
Expressive Therapies – Masters January 15 (Priority), February 15 (Regular)
BA, BS and BSW programs August 1
BFA programs Early Action - December 1 Regular Admission - June 1

Lesley University International Student Admissions

The International students interested to study in the USA are required to fulfill the following requirements for seeking admission at Lesley University in various programs.

Application portal: Online university portal or Common Application.
Application Fees: The details regarding the application fees have not been mentioned on the official website of Lesley University but the same can be confirmed by the applicants at the student helpdesk.

Lesley University Admission Requirements

The international students are required to submit the details regarding their academic records as soon as possible to the university so that their respective seats can be reserved as per their program selection. The documents must reach the university within deadlines to avoid any misappropriations. The documents may include:

  • A completed application
  • Official high school and college transcripts in English
  • Transcripts evaluated by an authorized agency
  • Letters of recommendation
  • SAT and/or TOEFL/IELTS score reports sent directly to the university.
  • Verification of financial support
  • Copy of passport
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Any other document required

All the transcripts and documents are to be mailed directly to the university email. The documents required to be posted or for which hard copies are required to be sent will be informed by the university itself.

English Proficiency Test Score Requirements

The minimum score requirements are:

Exam Minimum score (UG) Minimum score (PG)
TOEFL PBT: 550, CBT: 213, IBT: 80 Internet based: 90
IELTS 6.5 6.5
Cambridge English Exam C1 C1

There are two more additional requirements that the international students are required to comply with:

  • Obtain independent credit evaluations of foreign academic credentials to determine U.S. equivalency. Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for details and
  • Submit an Immigration and Financial Declaration Form (IFDF) if they require an I-20 from Lesley University. Along with this completed form, proof of funds to cover tuition and living expenses for one year is required. The I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility), needed to obtain a student visa, will not be issued without the IFDF and proof of funds.

US Visa Process for International students

International students are required to obtain study visas for the USA and have to comply with visa requirements prior to joining Lesley University as a student. There are a few steps to be accomplished and documents to be submitted to acquire the visa as a student for pursuing educational qualification at Lesley University. The students are required to apply for F-1 student visa form and complete the following steps:

  • Complete an Immigration and Financial Declaration Form
  • Pay the 350 USD I-901 SEVIS fee
  • Schedule an F-1 Student Visa appointment
  • Have your visa interview
  • Enter the U.S. up to 30 days before your program starts

The international students need to arrange the following documents to receive an F-1 student visa form:

  • Copy of passport
  • Certificate of financial support
  • Bank statement
  • Personal data information form
  • Educational agreements
  • Submit a copy of the award letter

Once all the details have been submitted, Lesley University will issue the I-20 form to the students by mail which will be further considered to obtain a new F-1 Student Visa.

Lesley University Undergraduate Admissions

UG at Lesley University has more than 35 and the admissions in all these programs are on the basis of different requirements as stated by Lesley University. The applicants are required to submit transcripts of their prior educational qualifications.

Where to apply: Common application
Application Fees: Differ according to various programs
Application Requirements: The guidelines to seek admission are as follows –

Lesley University Graduate Admissions

PG at Lesley University provides more than 80 study options at graduate level to study. The following are the requirements to be fulfilled to seek admission in various programs:

Where to apply: Common Application portal. Application Fee: Differ according to various programs

Documents Required:

  • Official Transcripts
  • ELP, GMAT/GRE Scores
  • Passport ID Pages
  • Evidence of Finances
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Any other documents as per program requirements

Some of the popular program requirements are as follows:

Programs Application fee in USD SOP /LOR Work Experience GMAT/GRE Interview
Management MS online 35 Required Required GMAT By Invitation
Creative Writing MFA 35 Required Required Not Required By Invitation
MEd Elementary Education 35 Required Required Not Required By Invitation
MEd Science/Maths 35 Required Required Required By Invitation
MA Higher Education and intercultural Relations 35 Required Required Not Required By Invitation

Lesley University offers admissions in various Graduate, Undergraduate, threshold Programs etc., with a variety of study options. The students may conduct research in their subjects of study with university support as well. With an acceptance rate of 75%, Lesley University has students from more than 40 countries and 180+ international students. It also runs a global guide ambassador program. Both on campus and off campus programs are available for 2023-24 batches. The students are required to submit all the documents on the university portal and can track the status of their application on the same portal as well.

FAQs

Ques. Are housing Facilities provided by Lesley University?

Ans. The housing facilities within the campus are provided by the university but prior application submission is required along with other important documents to be submitted as well.

Ques. Are international students required to submit Covid-19 reports prior to joining the university?

Ans. The students as well as all the other residents are required to submit their Covid-19 reports prior to joining as it has been provided in the university guidelines.

Ques. How is the cost and/or fee structure at Lesley University?

Ans. The fee structure at the university is very convenient and cost effective. It also provides opportunities to students for financial aid, student loans, etc.

Ques. Does the university provide funding for student research?

Ans. Absolutely, all the students pursuing research in various fields can get funding through applications submitted by them at the university portal, as per university guidelines and decisions.

Placements & Recruiters

Lesley University Placement Details

Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.

Recruiters
N/A
Salary Metrics
0/2
Placement Metric

Highest Package

N/A

Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.

Placement Metric

Average Package

N/A

Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.

Placement information is currently limited.

More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.

Rankings over the years

Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.

2019

Highlights
2019
  • Best overall country rank: #66
  • Overall: #66 in country
  • Top source: US News
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2019

2024

Highlights
2024
  • Best overall country rank: #72
  • Overall: #72 in country
  • Top source: US News
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2024

2025

Highlights
2025
  • Fine Arts: #17 in country
  • Top source: US News
  • 2 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Fine Arts, Social Work
  • 1 ranking record in 2025

Contact Information

29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

+1-617-8689600

Student Reviews & Ratings

Overall sentiment and category-wise rating summary

Overall score

7.7/10
Top Rated

Based on 1 rating

Rating Breakdown

Visual summary of rating distribution and categories

Live Summary
Academic
8.0/10
Faculty
7.0/10
Infrastructure
8.0/10
Accommodation
6.0/10
Placement
10.0/10
Extracurricular
7.0/10