More selective than 93% 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 $87,419. College Scorecard.
Higher than 96% of New York colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 76% of New York colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Vassar College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,145 applicants, Vassar College admitted 2,153 and 689 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1450–1550 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Vassar 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 Vassar College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Vassar College took 4.1 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 | $15,953 | $65,567 | 1.8 years |
| $30–48k | $14,548 | $59,792 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $14,126 | $58,058 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $25,773 | $105,927 | 2.9 years |
| $110k+ | $56,615 | $232,688 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (81% 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 ($71,366) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $36,733 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.
Vassar College majors, earnings & careers
Vassar College offers 41 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Vassar College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $124,469 | $17,037 |
| Economics | $102,584 | $19,000 |
| Political Science | $69,942 | $17,500 |
| Psychology (Research) | $65,095 | $19,000 |
| International Relations | $63,591 | $20,232 |
| Studio Art | $63,418 | $18,985 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $61,359 | $18,652 |
| Sociology | $61,106 | — |
Quick list of all 41 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$45,359
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Cognitive Science—
- Communications$58,163
- Computer and Information Sciences$124,469
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$102,584
- Education—
- English$60,461
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$42,956
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History$59,814
- International Relations$63,591
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$61,359
- Mathematics—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$69,942
- Psychology (Research)$65,095
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$61,106
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$54,839
- Studio Art$63,418
- Theatre$40,165
- Urban Studies / Affairs$59,930
— 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 →Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Kiryas Joel
Overall prices in the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,131. Housing costs 16% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 58 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Dutchess County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Dutchess County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Vassar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar College | 19% | $39,343 | 91% | $71,366 | This school |
| Hamilton College | 14% | $28,985 | 91% | $78,411 | |
| Colgate University | 14% | $28,786 | 91% | $85,139 | |
| Skidmore College | 21% | $32,297 | 83% | $69,363 | |
| Barnard College | 9% | $28,800 | 93% | $80,516 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Vassar College would cost you $10,358 more per year than Hamilton College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Vassar College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,070).
- Hamilton College gives aided families $7,169 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | Vassar College | Hamilton College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $71,030 | $68,960 | +$2,070 |
| Books & supplies | $900 | $800 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $17,415 | $16,690 | +$725 |
| Personal & travel | $1,350 | $1,000 | +$350 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,276 | −$3,220 | −$56 |
| Sticker price | $87,419 | $84,230 | +$3,189 |
| Average grants | −$48,076 | −$55,245 | +$7,169 |
| You pay | $39,343 | $28,985 | +$10,358 |
“+” means Vassar 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 Vassar College
What is the Vassar College acceptance rate?
Vassar College accepts 19% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,153 of 12,145 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1450–1550 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
How much does Vassar College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $87,419 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $39,343 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,953 and families earning $110k+ pay $56,615.
How much do Vassar College graduates earn?
Former Vassar College students earn a median $71,366 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Vassar College graduation rate?
91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 95% return for their second year.
How long does a Vassar College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Vassar College costs about $58,058 after grants ($14,126 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $71,366 ten years after starting, $36,733 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 1.6 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: “Vassar College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/vassar-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).