Admit rate has ranged 50%–59% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Sarah Lawrence College is a fiercely individualistic liberal arts school where students design their own interdisciplinary curricula through intensive one-on-one tutorials with faculty. With a 62% acceptance rate and an average GPA of 3.8, it attracts creative, self-directed learners who thrive in its seminar-heavy, discussion-based classes. Just 20 minutes from Manhattan, the campus balances intellectual intensity with quirky traditions—think midnight poetry readings and student-produced musicals.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,530
In-state tuition
$66,862
Out-of-state tuition
$66,862
Acceptance Rate
62%
Campus Location
Bronxville, NY (20 mins from Manhattan)
Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
Graduation Rate (6-year)
70–77%
Avg Financial Aid Package
$45,000–$50,167
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$53,603
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.3×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
71%
First-year retention
87%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
83%
Pell (lower-income) share
37%
First-generation share
11%
Endowment / student
$96,803
Financial health
2.3 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$21,873
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
7
Per 1,000 students
4.58
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
95
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
54.8"
Annual snow
21"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
72
Scholarly works
1,386
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.2%
Bottom → top quintile
34%
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Sarah Lawrence College?
Sarah Lawrence College's acceptance rate is approximately 62% (Bronxville, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Sarah Lawrence College?
Admitted students at Sarah Lawrence College typically score 1240–1430 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Sarah Lawrence College cost?
At Sarah Lawrence College, the average net price (after aid) is about $41,437 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Sarah Lawrence College?
Sarah Lawrence College enrolls approximately 1,530 undergraduate students.
Where is Sarah Lawrence College located?
Sarah Lawrence College is located in Bronxville, NY.
Admissions
Sarah Lawrence maintains a 62% acceptance rate, making it somewhat selective—but the real filter is fit. Admitted students typically have SAT scores between 1240-1440, ACT scores of 28-31, and an average GPA of 3.8. The college emphasizes holistic review, with no open admission policy (C6 in the CDS). Notably, 60% of admitted students had GPAs of 3.75+, while only 9% fell in the 3.25–3.49 range. Female applicants slightly outnumber males, with comparable Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. (62% vs. 61%).
Sarah Lawrence’s academic model is radically student-driven. There are —instead, students craft individualized programs across : Creative & Performing Arts, History & Social Sciences, Humanities, and Natural Sciences. The hallmark is the : biweekly one-on-one meetings with professors to discuss independent work. Classes are almost exclusively (average size: 12 students), and grades are often replaced with . Popular disciplines include , but interdisciplinary work is the norm—think “Neuroscience & Dance” or “Philosophy of Film.” The Princeton Review praises the
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
From bottom quintile
4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
no traditional majors
four broad areas
‘donning’ system
seminars
narrative evaluations
writing, psychology, and theatre
“high quality of relationships between students and professors.”
Life at Sarah Lawrence is tight-knit but introverted, with students describing the culture as “cliquey” (Niche). The 1,600 undergrads bond over quirky traditions:
‘Slonim Woods’: A forested campus spot for midnight poetry slams.
‘Schmuckernalia’: A student-produced musical parodying campus life.
The Bates Center hosts dances and speeches, while NYC’s arts scene is a 20-minute train ride away. Instagram posts showcase a “bold, creative community”, but some note social challenges: “You have to seek out your people.” Housing is guaranteed, with 90% of students living on campus.
Sarah Lawrence graduates pursue eclectic paths. The six-year graduation rate is 70–77% (top 25% nationally), with 72% finishing in six years (Tuition Tracker). Early-career earnings are modest ($36,427 median at one year), but alumni network strength shines in arts and academia. Notable outcomes:
87% first-year retention rate (Varsity Tutors).
69% four-year graduation rate (higher than many liberal arts peers).
Career Services highlights “success in wide-ranging fields”, from Pulitzer-winning writers to Broadway directors.
Tuition is steep ($63,200 for 2024–25), but 80% of students receive institutional aid, with average packages of $45,000–$50,167. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. after aid is $44,366 (BigFuture). The college meets 100% of demonstrated need, though some Reddit users note “$45k net price is $10k above average” for peer schools. Payment plans and the College Board’s Net Price Calculator help families estimate costs.
Sarah Lawrence is a haven for iconoclasts. Its no-majors, tutorial-heavy model is unlike any other liberal arts college—students might spend mornings in a biology lab and afternoons writing a play. The proximity to NYC fuels internships at galleries and publishers, while the 87% retention rate speaks to student satisfaction. It’s not for everyone: the introverted vibe and $45k net price demand commitment. But for those who thrive on intellectual autonomy, it’s transformative.
Sarah Lawrence College logo · sourceSarah Lawrence College | Bronxville NY · sourceCampus Offices | Sarah Lawrence College · sourceGetting To Know: Sarah Lawrence College (NY) In Person - Educated Quest · source
