Lawrence University vs Vassar College

Lawrence University and Vassar College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Lawrence, nestled in Appleton, Wisconsin, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized learning, while Vassar, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and global engagement. With acceptance rates of 58% and 24%, respectively, these institutions attract academically driven students seeking a rigorous education. While Lawrence's student body is predominantly White (73%) and female (60%), Vassar's student population is more diverse, with 48% White, 16% Asian, and 11% Hispanic students, and a gender distribution of 53% female and 47% male. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.
Lawrence University logo

Lawrence University

Vassar College logo

Vassar College

Overview

Location Appleton, Wisconsin Poughkeepsie, New York
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Trimester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 89.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 75.0% 20.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1230 - 1460 1420 - 1540
ACT range 27 - 32 32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 24.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 37.0% 20.0%
Total number of applicants 2,907 10,884
Total number of admissions given out 2,179 2,193
Admitted students who chose to enroll 402 679
Yield rate 18.4% 31.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $65,445 $81,330
Average net price $24,804 $27,249
Tuition $52,101 $61,940
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,814

Meal plan: $5,370
$15,710
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $39,841
57.0%
Average amount $49,162
Students receiving federal student loan 57.0%
Average amount $5,053
46.0%
Average amount $3,729
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $16,464
4.0%
Average amount $14,435

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,483
Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
2,516
Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 73.1% N/A
International students 12.3% 8.4%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,460 2,448
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota Texas California N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • History
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 80.5% 92.5%
Dropout rate 19.0% 5.6%
Transferred out N/A 2.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $54,035
  • Year 3: $51,421
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $35,410
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,329
  • Year 3: $32,588
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,667
  • Year 3: $31,648
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $27,840
Music (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $27,395
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $24,417
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $20,533
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $23,113
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,930
  • Year 2: $69,535
  • Year 3: $93,622
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,665
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $66,026
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,871
  • Year 2: $49,683
  • Year 3: $59,758
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,233
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $45,366
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,929
  • Year 2: $31,670
  • Year 3: $43,616
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,086
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,522
  • Year 2: $35,600
  • Year 3: $38,666
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,708
  • Year 3: $38,274
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,008
  • Year 2: $28,236
  • Year 3: $36,733
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,175
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: $35,465

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