Sarah Lawrence: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially Sarah Lawrence College · Bronxville, New York · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Test-optional
- Early Decision
- Early Decision II
- Early Action
- 4,085
- Applicants
- 2,694
- Admitted66%
- 350
- Enrolled
- 13%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Moderately selective66% admittedRanked #125 (tie) in National Liberal Arts CollegesU.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by Sarah Lawrence College (see the source), read on 2026-09-20. The admission-factor grid was re-read from that file to confirm each weighting.
Is Sarah Lawrence a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Sarah Lawrence against it in about a minute. No account needed.
Sarah Lawrence is a private nonprofit university in Bronxville, New York that admits about 66% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $41,437 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 66% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Sarah Lawrence is a private institution located in Bronxville, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Sarah Lawrence admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 66%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1320 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $41,437 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What GPA does my child need for Sarah Lawrence?
54% of enrolled students at Sarah Lawrence had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.73, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Compare Sarah Lawrence with the other schools on your list
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What does Sarah Lawrence weight in admissions?
Sarah Lawrence reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
6- Rigor of secondary school record
- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Character/personal qualities
Important
1- Academic GPA
Considered
8- Class rank
- Standardized test scores
- Interview
- First generation status
- Geographical residence
- Volunteer work
- Work experience
- Level of applicant's interest
Not Considered
2- Alumni/ae relation
- State residency
SAT and ACT scores Sarah Lawrence typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–31. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1238 |
| 50th percentile | 1320 |
| 75th percentile | 1378 |
| % submitting SAT | 9% |
| 25th percentile | 28 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 3% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Test-optional for decades; submitting SAT/ACT is entirely up to the applicant.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on Sarah Lawrence's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 18% |
| Top 25% of class | 32% |
| Top 50% of class | 78% |
| % submitting class rank | 21% |
How much does Sarah Lawrence actually cost?
Published tuition is $66,862 for in-state students and $66,862 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,426 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $41,437 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 12% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $73,088 |
| Room and board | $20,316 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $41,437 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 77% |
| Average need-based grant | $48,948 |
| Average merit award, no financial need116 first-year students received one | $38,122 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 58% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $33,471 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA only (no CSS Profile)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $0 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Sarah Lawrence
| Regular deadline | 1/15 |
| Notification date | Mid-March |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
| Offers Early Decision II | Yes |
| ED II deadline | January 15 |
| ED acceptance rate (all rounds) | 50% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Sarah Lawrence?
These predict outcomes at Sarah Lawrence better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at Sarah Lawrence
The most popular undergraduate programs at Sarah Lawrence, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. Across all programs, Sarah Lawrence confers roughly 318 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program report a median income of about $42,672 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 318 | $42,672 |
Is Sarah Lawrence safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Sarah Lawrence disclosed 7 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 7 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at Sarah Lawrence?
About 85% of undergraduates at Sarah Lawrence live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
- St Lawrence University54% acceptance
- Binghamton University39% acceptance
- Rochester Institute of Technology67% acceptance
- Ithaca College69% acceptance
- State University of New York at New Paltz62% acceptance
- SUNY College at Geneseo66% acceptance
- Clarkson University77% acceptance
- CUNY Queens College64% acceptance
Next steps for Sarah Lawrence
Common questions parents ask about Sarah Lawrence
What GPA do I need for Sarah Lawrence?
54% of enrolled students at Sarah Lawrence had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.73, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What SAT or ACT score does Sarah Lawrence typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–31.
How much does Sarah Lawrence actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Sarah Lawrence after grants and scholarships is $41,437 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $66,862. Budget against the net figure.
Is Sarah Lawrence realistic for my child?
Sarah Lawrence admits 66% of applicants, so 590–690 SAT Math is target range and below 590 is a reach. Then check the $41,437 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Sarah Lawrence?
Sarah Lawrence accepts about 66% of applicants out of roughly 4,085 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Sarah Lawrence test-optional?
Yes. Sarah Lawrence is test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Sarah Lawrence?
About 66% of students at Sarah Lawrence graduate within six years, and 52% finish in four years. 81% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Sarah Lawrence?
Sarah Lawrence's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 50%, compared with its overall rate of 66%. The ED rate is not materially higher here, so weigh the binding commitment carefully.
What does Sarah Lawrence look for in applicants?
Sarah Lawrence rates course rigor, the application essay, recommendations and extracurricular activities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Sarah Lawrence a public or private school, and where is it located?
Sarah Lawrence is a private nonprofit institution located in Bronxville, New York.
What are the most popular majors at Sarah Lawrence?
The largest undergraduate majors at Sarah Lawrence by annual graduates are Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. The school awards about 318 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Sarah Lawrence safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Sarah Lawrence reported 7 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Sarah Lawrence?
At Sarah Lawrence, 85% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Sarah Lawrence College, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers