St. Lawrence: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially St Lawrence University · Canton, 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
- 5,229
- Applicants
- 2,919
- Admitted56%
- 418
- Enrolled
- 14%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Moderately selective56% admittedRanked #49 (tie) in National Liberal Arts Colleges; Economics #161 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by St Lawrence University (see the source), read on 2026-09-20. The admission-factor grid was re-read from that file to confirm each weighting.
Is St. Lawrence a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places St. Lawrence against it in about a minute. No account needed.
St. Lawrence is a private nonprofit university in Canton, New York that admits about 56% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $28,651 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business/Commerce, General, Economics and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 79% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 3.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
St. Lawrence is a private institution located in Canton, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, St. Lawrence admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 56%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1340 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,651 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What GPA does my child need for St. Lawrence?
71% of enrolled students at St. Lawrence had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.62, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
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What does St. Lawrence weight in admissions?
St. Lawrence reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
5- Rigor of secondary school record
- Academic GPA
- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Character/personal qualities
Important
1- Extracurricular activities
Considered
6- Standardized test scores
- Interview
- Talent/ability
- Geographical residence
- Volunteer work
- Work experience
Not Considered
6- Class rank
- First generation status
- Alumni/ae relation
- State residency
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores St. Lawrence typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–710, with an EBRW midpoint near 665. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33. 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 | 1270 |
| 50th percentile | 1340 |
| 75th percentile | 1380 |
| % submitting SAT | 14% |
| 25th percentile | 27 |
| 50th percentile | 30 |
| 75th percentile | 31 |
| % submitting ACT | 3% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Test scores optional.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on St. 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 | 33.3% |
| Top 25% of class | 65% |
| Top 50% of class | 90.6% |
| % submitting class rank | 28.1% |
How much does St. Lawrence actually cost?
Published tuition is $65,900 for in-state students and $65,900 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,000 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $28,651 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 21% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $69,460 |
| Room and board | $18,030 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $28,651 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 91% |
| Average need-based grant | $55,572 |
| Average merit award, no financial need143 first-year students received one | $36,691 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 58% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $36,426 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA only (no CSS Profile)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $0 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for St. Lawrence
| Regular deadline | 2/1 |
| Notification date | 1-Jan (rolling) |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 2 |
| Offers Early Decision II | Yes |
| ED II deadline | February 1 |
| ED acceptance rate (all rounds) | 50% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | December 1 |
Will my child graduate from St. Lawrence?
These predict outcomes at St. Lawrence better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at St. Lawrence
The most popular undergraduate programs at St. Lawrence, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business/Commerce, General, Economics and Psychology, General. Across all programs, St. Lawrence confers roughly 466 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business/Commerce, General program report a median income of about $86,492 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 89 | $86,492 |
| Economics | 76 | $82,561 |
| Psychology, General | 67 | $59,597 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 55 | $69,299 |
| Political Science and Government | 55 | $77,943 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 47 | n/a |
| Biology, General | 40 | $66,283 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 37 | $46,845 |
Is St. Lawrence safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), St. Lawrence disclosed 7 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 3.6 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 St. Lawrence?
About 99% of undergraduates at St. Lawrence live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 11% of men join a fraternity and 24% of women join a sorority. 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
- 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
- Farmingdale State College63% acceptance
Next steps for St. Lawrence
Common questions parents ask about St. Lawrence
What GPA do I need for St. Lawrence?
71% of enrolled students at St. Lawrence had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.62, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What SAT or ACT score does St. Lawrence typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–710, with an EBRW midpoint near 665. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33.
How much does St. Lawrence actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at St. Lawrence after grants and scholarships is $28,651 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $65,900. Budget against the net figure.
Is St. Lawrence realistic for my child?
St. Lawrence admits 56% of applicants, so 610–710 SAT Math is target range and below 610 is a reach. Then check the $28,651 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at St. Lawrence?
St. Lawrence accepts about 56% of applicants out of roughly 5,229 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is St. Lawrence test-optional?
Yes. St. 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 St. Lawrence?
About 79% of students at St. Lawrence graduate within six years, and 69% finish in four years. 90% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at St. Lawrence?
St. Lawrence's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 50%, compared with its overall rate of 56%. The ED rate is not materially higher here, so weigh the binding commitment carefully.
What does St. Lawrence look for in applicants?
St. Lawrence rates course rigor, GPA, the application essay and recommendations as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is St. Lawrence a public or private school, and where is it located?
St. Lawrence is a private nonprofit institution located in Canton, New York.
What are the most popular majors at St. Lawrence?
The largest undergraduate majors at St. Lawrence by annual graduates are Business/Commerce, General, Economics and Psychology, General. The school awards about 466 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is St. Lawrence safe? What is its campus crime rate?
St. Lawrence reported 7 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 3.6 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 St. Lawrence?
At St. Lawrence, 99% of undergraduates live on campus, 11% of men are in fraternities, 24% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by St Lawrence University, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers