Emerson College reviews

3.2

39% would recommend to a friend

(316 total reviews)

Jay Bernahardt

16% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Emerson College has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 316 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Emerson College employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

316 reviews
2.0
Sep 17, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

• Student Affairs has a core group of driven, student-focused staff who aren't afraid to do the work. • Vacation time is generous and healthcare benefits are really solid. • Several faculty members are passionate about campus collaborations and fostering a stronger culture overall.

Cons

• The pay. Emerson prides itself on offering competitive salary grades and compensation packages. When you look at similar institutions (and positions), you'll find that Emerson's offerings are close to the bottom or below the bottom of many salary midpoints. • The culture. I can't say there's one single culture on campus because of the disconnect between HR, senior administrators, and folks committed to day-to-day operations. Decisions are made behind closed doors and there's a paternalistic "do what you're told" vibe. • The lack of empathy. Speaking from personal experience, I went three weeks without pay when I received my promotion at the college. When I shared that this was an issue, I was met with a lot of pushback that I didn't understand my own pay schedule. • The severe lack of growth. Promotions happen behind closed doors, managers seem clocked out of career conversations around growth. Job descriptions are either inaccurate, bloated, or missing altogether.

2.0
Jan 8, 2026

Poor culture and leadership

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits, vacation, and holidays.

Cons

Poor culture, management, and leadership.

2.0
Jan 8, 2026

Terrible Environment Where Everyone is Worried About their Job

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

People are nice to each other. The retirement benefits are great.

Cons

The environment is not good. People are constantly worried about their job and have stopped contributing to problem-solving, and just execute orders.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 316 Reviews

Glassdoor has 358 Emerson College reviews submitted anonymously by Emerson College employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Emerson College is right for you.