Private nonprofit · College

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York · Large suburb

18.6%
Admit rate
$39,343
Avg net price
91%
Graduation rate
$71,366
Median earnings

Vassar College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Poughkeepsie, New York (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,444 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,444 undergradsLarge suburbVery selective · 19% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Vassar College's admitted students.

Admit rate
18.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1450–1550
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Vassar College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Vassar College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Poughkeepsie, New York

Poughkeepsie is a city in and is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, United States. In 1788, the Ratification Convention for New York State included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and George Clinton. The Hudson Valley Renegades is a minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Yankees. The team is a member of the South Atlantic League, and play at Dutchess Stadium in the nearby town of Fishkill. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
To the ocean
26 miles
Nearest airport
17 miles to New York Stewart (SWF)

How Vassar College compares

Selectivity18.6%

More selective than 96% · #10 most selective of 137 in New York

SAT average1494

Higher than 95%

Graduation rate91%

Higher than 96% · #7 of 159 in New York

First-year retention95%

Higher than 93%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$71,366

Higher than 84% · #35 of 133 in New York

Average net price$39,343

Cheaper than 5% · #141 cheapest of 153 in New York

Median debt at graduation$18,625

Lower than 82%

Student–faculty ratio7 : 1

Lower than 92%

Undergraduate enrollment2,444

Larger than 63%

Percentiles compare Vassar College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New York.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,444undergrads
  • Women1,38657%
  • Men1,05843%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White54%
  • Black3.8%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian12%
  • Other or multiracial17%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,444
Student–faculty ratio
7 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
19%
First-generation students
14%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$71,194
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$122,283
Endowment
$1,300,989,120

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 686 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New York28%
  • Other U.S. states65%
  • International7.7%

A national draw — only 28% of first-years come from New York; 64% arrive from other states.

8% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
18.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1450–1550
SAT average
1494
SAT reading
730–770
SAT math
720–780
ACT composite
33–35
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$71,030
Room & board
$18,240
Books & supplies
$900
Total cost of attendance
$87,419
Average net price
$39,343

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
91%
Graduated on time (4 years)
84%
First-year retention
95%
Transferred to another college
5%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,177
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$71,366
Median debt at graduation
$18,625
Students with federal loans
39%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
88%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
84%
First-generation
93%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,455
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
556 (281 men · 275 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Lacrosse84
Track and Field (Indoor)66
Track and Field (Outdoor)65
Soccer56
Fencing44
Cross Country38
Swimming and Diving (combined)36
Basketball34
Volleyball32
Baseball31
Squash22
Tennis21
Field Hockey20
Golf7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
7.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
42
Property offenses (2022–2024)
16

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,462 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

19reported offenses a year
14 violent a year5.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
7.7
Rape
6.0
Burglary
3.3
Motor vehicle theft
1.7
Robbery
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$15,953
$30–48k
$14,548
$48–75k
$14,126
$75–110k
$25,773
$110k+
$56,615

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$58,137

$14,126/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

57%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$51,757
average award, among those who get one

Vassar College discounts heavily: 57% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $51,757. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 679 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$71,366
Typical debt at graduation
$18,625
Debt vs. one year's pay
26%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$69,820
Men
$73,686

Men out-earn women by $3,866 (6%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
47.2″
Annual snow
57.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Poughkeepsie, NY US station (3.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Vassar College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Vassar College side by side →

Colleges near Vassar College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.