Pace University

About Pace University

Pace began in Lower Manhattan in 1906, when Homer and Charles Pace established a small school focused on accounting and preparation for the New York CPA examination. It later became a nonprofit institution, achieved college status, and developed into a university serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It remains institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, whose current record includes bachelor’s, master’s, professional-doctorate, and research-doctorate approval. The institution operates across three New York locations. One Pace Plaza is the center of the New York City campus in Lower Manhattan. The Pleasantville campus in Westchester County combines academic buildings, residence halls, recreation, and athletics in a suburban setting. The Elisabeth Haub School of Law is based separately in White Plains. These locations belong to one accredited university, but they do not offer identical programs or student experiences. This structure makes campus selection an important academic and lifestyle decision. New York City suits students seeking a dense urban environment and direct access to organizations across the metropolitan area. Pleasantville offers a more conventional campus layout and a stronger concentration of residential and athletics-based activity. White Plains primarily matters to law students. Prospective students should verify the location of their intended major before applying and avoid assuming that courses can be taken interchangeably across campuses. University shuttle services connect locations on published schedules, but travel time remains a practical consideration.

For Fall 2027 first-year admission, Pace accepts its online application, the Common Application, and the Coalition Application. The current official schedule lists November 1, 2026 for binding Early Decision, November 15 for nonbinding Early Action, December 1 for Sands College of Performing Arts applications, and February 15, 2027 for Regular Decision and nursing applications. Performing arts candidates also face a January 3 pre-screen deadline. Spring 2027 applicants may apply from August 1 through December 1, 2026. Applicants should recheck these dates because program-specific requirements can change. First-year applicants are asked for an application, official secondary-school documentation, two recommendations, and an original personal statement of approximately 250–650 words. Pace is test optional for most applicants, but its policy includes guidelines and exceptions that candidates should review before withholding scores. Performing arts and nursing have additional requirements. The published undergraduate application fee is $50, although Pace states that it is waived for applicants to the Westchester campus. Transfer applicants follow a separate process and must submit transcripts from every college attended; additional secondary-school materials apply to candidates with fewer than 32 completed college credits. International applicants should use the dedicated international instructions for academic records, English-language evidence, immigration documentation, and financial certification. Graduate and law admissions are school-specific, so undergraduate dates and requirements should not be generalized to those applicants.

Pace’s 2026–2027 catalogs show undergraduate and graduate study across the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, School of Education, Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Sands College of Performing Arts, and Elisabeth Haub School of Law. The catalog lists awards at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, alongside associate degrees and certificates. English is the stated medium of instruction for university programs and courses. Undergraduate choices include fields such as accounting, nursing, computer science, education, performing arts, and the liberal arts and sciences. Graduate offerings include professionally focused master’s programs as well as doctorates in areas such as computing, nursing, and psychology. Program availability and tuition can depend on the school, campus, delivery format, and entering cohort. Performing arts, nursing, health-profession, and law pathways may also have distinct admission or progression requirements. For decision-making, students should begin with the current program listing and then confirm the program’s home campus, curriculum, accreditation where relevant, experiential components, and total time to completion. Pace presents career preparation as a central institutional focus, and Career Services provides advising, employer engagement, job-search tools, and outcome reporting. However, career results differ by school and degree. Applicants should consult the school-level outcome breakdowns rather than treating university-wide figures as guarantees for a particular major.

Key Highlights

• Operating, institutionally accredited private nonprofit university
• Founded in Lower Manhattan in 1906
• Principal campuses in New York City and Pleasantville, with the law school in White Plains
• Approved to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral credentials

Student Life & Environment

Student life differs substantially between the New York City and Pleasantville campuses. The city campus integrates university facilities and residence halls into Lower Manhattan, while Pleasantville offers a suburban residential campus with intercollegiate athletics and more conventional campus gathering spaces. Pace reports more than 100 student organizations across academic, professional, cultural, recreational, service, identity, and governance interests. Student government and residence-hall organizations operate on both principal campuses. Housing is available in New York City and Pleasantville, but building types, prices, and first-year arrangements differ. Pace’s residential program includes staff support, community programming, themed activities, and First-Year Interest Groups. At Pleasantville, first-year residents participate in interest-based communities, with themes including nursing and health sciences, leadership and service, entrepreneurship, wellness, and popular culture. Campus housing is limited by room type, and the university states that specific buildings or configurations cannot be guaranteed. Prospective students should examine campus-specific club directories, dining requirements, transportation, and weekend patterns. Commuters are an important part of the community, and Pace runs programming aimed at commuter participation. Students considering varsity sports should note that Pace’s intercollegiate athletics are centered in Pleasantville. Those prioritizing city-based cultural access may prefer Manhattan, while students seeking residence-centered traditions and athletics may find Pleasantville a closer fit.

Location & Surroundings

Pace’s New York City campus is anchored at One Pace Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Its Financial District location places students near civic institutions, public transportation, businesses, cultural venues, and the broader employment market of New York City. The campus is urban rather than self-contained, so daily life involves navigating city streets, transit, and university buildings distributed within the neighborhood. The Pleasantville campus is at 861 Bedford Road in Westchester County. It offers a suburban environment with residence halls and athletics on campus. Pleasantville is served by Metro-North’s Harlem Line, with a university shuttle connecting the station and campus during published fall and spring service periods. The setting may appeal to students who want green space and a more conventional residential layout while retaining rail access to New York City. The Elisabeth Haub School of Law is at 78 North Broadway in White Plains. Pace publishes shuttle connections involving the law campus, the White Plains rail station, New York City, and Pleasantville, but service depends on academic schedules. Students should assess their program’s location before choosing housing; routine cross-campus travel can add meaningful time even when a shuttle is available.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Pace labels its 2026–2027 tuition and fee schedule tentative and subject to change. For most full-time undergraduate degrees, the published annual flat-rate tuition is $55,040; Sands College of Performing Arts tuition is $62,040. Standard full-time undergraduate fees, housing, meal plans, health insurance where applicable, books, transportation, and personal costs add to the budget. Graduate tuition is generally charged by school and credit, while some professional programs use program-based pricing. Campus choice materially affects residential cost. The catalog’s sample 2026–2027 cost of attendance is $87,426 for a first-year New York City resident and $82,926 for a first-year Pleasantville resident in a non-performing-arts program. These are budgeting estimates, not a promise of the amount a student will pay. Housing rates vary by building and room type, and published prices are subject to change. Applicants should compare net costs after grants and scholarships, not tuition alone, and include deposits, insurance, travel, and nonbillable expenses. Pace reports that 90% of Class of 2025 bachelor’s graduates and 93% of master’s graduates were employed, continuing education, or in service. It also reports average full-time salaries of $75,827 for bachelor’s respondents and $86,030 for master’s respondents. These are institution-reported outcomes, not guaranteed earnings, and should be interpreted with the underlying survey methodology and school-level breakdowns. Career Services offers advising and employment-search resources throughout the student lifecycle.