More selective than 68% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $82,467. College Scorecard.
Higher than 69% of New York colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 32% of New York colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Sarah Lawrence College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,819 applicants, Sarah Lawrence College admitted 2,840 and 411 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 on the SAT or 28–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Sarah Lawrence College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
What Sarah Lawrence College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Sarah Lawrence College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $29,876 | $124,882 | 6.6 years |
| $30–48k | $29,810 | $124,606 | 6.6 years |
| $48–75k | $40,869 | $170,832 | 9.0 years |
| $75–110k | $35,340 | $147,721 | 7.8 years |
| $110k+ | $47,810 | $199,846 | 10.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($53,603) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,970 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Sarah Lawrence College majors, earnings & careers
Sarah Lawrence College offers 1 bachelor's majors across 1 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 1
Highest-earning majors at Sarah Lawrence College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $48,225 | $24,245 |
Quick list of all 1 majors
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$48,225
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Living in New York
Overall prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,971. Housing costs 49% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 33 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Westchester County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Westchester County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Sarah Lawrence College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Lawrence College | 62% | $41,437 | 71% | $53,603 | This school |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | 64% | $31,563 | 77% | $68,831 | |
| New York School of Interior Design | 63% | $45,271 | 69% | $48,041 | |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | — | $4,156 | 70% | $31,853 | |
| St. John Fisher University | 66% | $28,945 | 74% | $66,944 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Sarah Lawrence College would cost you $9,874 more per year than Hobart William Smith Colleges, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Sarah Lawrence College, mostly from more Sarah Lawrence College students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,492).
- Hobart William Smith Colleges gives aided families $10,009 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | Sarah Lawrence College | Hobart William Smith Colleges | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $66,862 | $65,117 | +$1,745 |
| Books & supplies | $600 | $1,300 | −$700 |
| Housing & meals | $17,546 | $17,334 | +$212 |
| Personal & travel | $800 | $700 | +$100 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,341 | −$1,849 | −$1,492 |
| Sticker price | $82,467 | $82,602 | −$135 |
| Average grants | −$41,030 | −$51,039 | +$10,009 |
| You pay | $41,437 | $31,563 | +$9,874 |
“+” means Sarah Lawrence College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Sarah Lawrence College
What is the Sarah Lawrence College acceptance rate?
Sarah Lawrence College accepts 62% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,840 of 4,819 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 on the SAT or 28–31 on the ACT.
How much does Sarah Lawrence College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $82,467 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $41,437 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $29,876 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,810.
How much do Sarah Lawrence College graduates earn?
Former Sarah Lawrence College students earn a median $53,603 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Sarah Lawrence College graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
How long does a Sarah Lawrence College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Sarah Lawrence College costs about $170,832 after grants ($40,869 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,603 ten years after starting, $18,970 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 9.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Sarah Lawrence College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/sarah-lawrence-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).