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Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York · Private, a large suburb · 2,444 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into Vassar?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
18.6%
12,145 applied
SAT, middle half
1450 to 1550
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
33 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
32% of admitted students enrolled
What they look at
  • High school GPAConsidered
  • Class rankConsidered
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programRequired
  • RecommendationsRequired
  • EssayRequired
  • PortfolioConsidered

How much does Vassar cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees
$74,265
A full year, sticker price
$91,520
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$36,924
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$19,674
$30,001 to $48,000$10,022
$48,001 to $75,000$13,428
$75,001 to $110,000$17,576
Over $110,000$50,834
Room and board on campus
$19,055 a year; $19,555 off campus
Books and supplies
$900 a year
The school's own grants
57% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $51,757

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$22K$43K$65K$86K201220142016201820202022Vassar

How much do Vassar students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$19,000
About $216 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
43%
Get a Pell Grant
24.4%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
1.3%

What do Vassar graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$58,024
Ten years after starting
$75,532
Middle half: $50,395 to $122,715
Best-paid program, five years out
$136,808
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$38,720
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Do Vassar students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
94.9%
Graduate in six years
88.6%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
90% graduated
10% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to Vassar?

Women
61.7%
First in their family at college
14.2%
Part-time
1.6%
Students per teacher
7
Background
White 54%, Hispanic 14%, Black 4%, Asian 12%, Two or more 8%, International 6%
Housing
Campus housing, 2,455 beds

What do Vassar graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences, General73$94,900$136,808$19,000

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology80$48,717Hidden$18,009
Biology, General78$37,216$73,443$19,000
Natural Resources Conservation and Research41$36,886Hidden$19,000
Neurobiology and Neurosciences54HiddenHidden$19,000

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Astronomy and Astrophysics9HiddenHiddenHidden
Chemistry18HiddenHiddenHidden
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences15HiddenHiddenHidden
Mathematics88$64,870Hidden$18,580
Physics31HiddenHidden$18,961

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology16HiddenHiddenHidden
Area Studies32$51,187HiddenHidden
Communication and Media Studies33$31,715$70,865Hidden
Economics112$82,527$114,836$18,798
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies9HiddenHiddenHidden
Geography and Cartography15HiddenHiddenHidden
International Relations and National Security Studies50$42,602$59,465$19,000
Political Science and Government72$52,965$78,223$16,500
Research and Experimental Psychology92$44,745$58,361$15,830
Social Sciences, Other2HiddenHiddenHidden
Sociology27$37,136HiddenHidden
Urban Studies/Affairs21$24,616$58,239Hidden

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics25HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General68$38,425$58,217$19,000
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics5HiddenHiddenHidden
History31$51,621HiddenHidden
Philosophy19HiddenHiddenHidden
Religion/Religious Studies9HiddenHiddenHidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics51$38,994$77,932Hidden
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics11HiddenHiddenHidden

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Education, General28HiddenHiddenHidden

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft47Hidden$38,720Hidden
Film/Video and Photographic Arts46$39,220$57,445$19,000
Fine and Studio Arts41$40,754HiddenHidden
Music16HiddenHiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classical and Ancient Studies6HiddenHiddenHidden
Cognitive Science39$60,408HiddenHidden
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities2Hidden$62,685Hidden
Medieval and Renaissance Studies2HiddenHiddenHidden
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other3HiddenHiddenHidden
Science, Technology and Society39HiddenHiddenHidden

Compare Vassar with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with Vassar College. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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