Key Takeaways:
- Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, rich history of impassioned intellectual and civic engagement, and vibrant, successful alumni.
- The student to faculty ratio at Sarah Lawrence College is 10:1 and 90% of classes are small, round-table seminars and students have a 1:1 bi-weekly conferences with their professors.
- Sarah Lawrence College has a selective admissions process with a 50% acceptance rate, and a graduation rate of 72%.
Prestigious, Personalized Liberal Arts Education at Sarah Lawrence
Sarah Lawrence College appears in our ranking of the 30 Best Colleges for Young Democrats.
Ranked 65th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report, Sarah Lawrence College is a small private, nonprofit Oberlin Group member in Yonkers that offers 49 bachelor’s and nine master’s concentrations for interdisciplinary study at a 9:1 student-teacher ratio with 89 percent retention. For example, the BA in Music follows a 120-credit, four-year path led by Dr. Chester Biscardi where undergrads record in the Electronic Music Studio, perform at Reisinger Concert Hall, explore the William Schuman Library, and join the Jazz Ensemble. Chaired by Dr. Kim Ferguson, the 120-credit BA in Psychology creates opportunities to conduct Child Development Institute research, volunteer with Westchester Jewish Community Services, pursue the Pre-Health Program, and exchange to Oxford.
Featured Programs
Founded in 1969, the MS in Human Genetics is the oldest such 70-credit, ACGC-accredited program headed by Dr. Claire Davis that integrates 1,000 clinical hours at partners, such as Montefiore Medical Center and New York Presbyterian, for 100 percent American Board of Genetic Counseling certification success. Directed by Dr. Mary Dillard, the MA in Women’s History outlines a 48-credit, two-year thesis plan where post-grad Gryphons can attend the Gerda Lerner Lecture Series, intern at the Museum of Women’s Resistance, access Esther Raushenbush Library, and pursue a Dual Juris Doctor at Pace.
Other Sarah Lawrence degrees include the BA in Religion, BA in French, BA in Filmmaking, BA in Politics, BA in Asian Studies, MS in Dance/Movement Therapy, and MA in Health Advocacy.
About Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College originated in 1924 when real estate magnate William Van Duzer Lawrence partnered with Henry Noble MacCracken to open a junior college honoring his wife Sarah. On December 9, 1926, the Sarah Lawrence College for Women was chartered by New York State. In October 1928, President Marion Coats welcomed the inaugural class of 117 to Bates Hall. In 1933, Isabella Hayes graduated with Sarah Lawrence’s first Bachelor of Arts. In 1935, SLC ended its decade-long affiliation with Vassar College. In 1947, Sarah Lawrence College began admitting male undergraduates under the GI Bill. Four years later, the earliest Master of Arts program was established. In 1962, the Center for Continuing Education was launched to empower returning adults. By 1997, SLC had partnered with Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for prison education. In 2013, President Karen Lawrence debuted the Center for the Urban River at Beczak.
Endowed for $105.2 million, Sarah Lawrence College now employs 186 full-time faculty teaching 1,377 undergrad and 298 graduate Gryphons from 53 countries on a 44-acre Westchester County campus north of Manhattan with 130+ clubs like Reading Buddies. In 2018, Sarah Lawrence received a CASE District II Circle of Excellence Award. In 2010, SLC accepted the Blavatnik Family Foundation Grant for Innovation in Arts and Technology. Forbes crowned Sarah Lawrence College the 51st best liberal arts institution. On Niche, SLC has America’s 171st hardest admission, 176th best academics, and 190th most diversity. The Princeton Review named Sarah Lawrence #1 for high-quality professors. The Economist declared SLC the 175th best value. Washington Monthly positioned Sarah Lawrence College 160th for social mobility. PayScale noticed SLC for the 179th highest mid-career salary of $109,500 too.
Sarah Lawrence College Accreditation Details
On June 22, 2017, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees voted favorably to reaffirm the Level III accreditation at Sarah Lawrence College with commendation through the next 2025-26 evaluation under the 11th president, Dr. Cristle Collins Judd, who earned the Society for Music Theory’s Wallace Berry Award. Located 125 miles down Route 202 in Philadelphia, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and New York State Education Department (NYSED). Further, the Joan H. Marks Graduate Program was approved by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) on May 3, 2017.
Sarah Lawrence College Application Requirements
Getting into Sarah Lawrence College is classified “very difficult” by Peterson’s because only 1,857 of the 3,325 Fall 2018 applicants were chosen for selective 56 percent acceptance. First-year Gryphons must be culminating a strong college-prep high school curriculum. Freshmen can request credit for a maximum three Advanced Placement exams graded 4 or better. The Class of 2022 presented an average secondary GPA of 3.71. The middle 50th percentile had SAT composite scores of 1240-1410. Mid-range admitted ACT scores were 27-31. Standardized tests are wholly optional to ensure holistic, whole-person admissions. Exams are required for international students who need a minimum 600 TOEFL or 7.0 IELTS score though. Competitive transfers typically have completed 30+ post-secondary credits at GPAs above 2.5. The Graduate Studies Office seeks master’s entrants with a four-year, regionally-accredited baccalaureate. Previous collegiate courses should have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. The MS in Human Genetics strongly prefers GRE General Test scores above 310.
Sarah Lawrence College set freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Action, January 2nd for Early Decision, and January 15th for Regular Decision. Bachelor of Arts transfers must file before March 1st for Fall or November 1st for Spring. The Graduate Studies Office has different program deadlines though. The MSEd in the Art of Teaching seeks candidates until February 1st. Incoming MS in Human Genetics cohorts must apply by December 15th. MFA in Dance students are reviewed through January 1st. Accordingly, complete the Sarah Lawrence or Common Application online for $60. Forward official transcripts to One Mead Way in Bronxville, NY 10708. Send optional test scores via SAT/GRE code 2810 or ACT code 2904. Attach supplemental documents, such as the faculty recommendation, school report, Early Decision Agreement, art portfolio, and 500-word essay. Contact (914) 395-2510 or slcadmit@sarahlawrence.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Sarah Lawrence College is charging full-time undergraduates $28,010 each term or $56,020 annually. Bachelor of Arts majors pay the $976 general fee, $234 activities fee, and $290 health services fee each year. Residing at the Yonkers campus’ dorms like MacCracken Hall adds $10,420 for yearly rent. Unlimited meal plans for Ruth Leff Siegel Center are $2,700 extra each semester. Optional student health insurance premiums are $2,651. Tuition refund insurance costs $672 per year. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals about $72,670 on-site and $57,300 at home. Non-traditional undergraduate programs are $1,867 per credit. The Graduate Studies Office has varying program prices from $973 to $1,622 per credit. Average full-time master’s tuition is $29,094.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid on Westlands Hall’s 1st Floor connects 79 percent of full-time SLC Gryphons to median tuition assistance of $30,506 apiece for $33.61 million combined. Institutional funds include the Helen Brinkley Bainbridge Scholarship, Oscar Bodansky Scholarship, Mary Miller Davidoff Scholarship, Edith Hale Harkness Scholarship, Virginia Speyer Loewenheim Scholarship, Grace Paley Scholarship, Eugenie & Benjamin Robinson Scholarship, Alice Boughton Schaffner Scholarship, and Barbara Walters Presidential Scholarship. Since 2016, the $500,000 Michele Tolela Myers Graduate Fellowship Fund has helped highly talented MFA in Writing students. The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley provides nearly 100 awards like the Acacio Rodrigues Memorial Scholarship and Bret Alan Frattellone Scholarship. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant or Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, require FAFSA forms coded 002813. New Yorkers also utilize the Tuition Assistance Program, Enhanced Tuition Award, and Achievement Investment in Merit Scholarship.
Search through 55+ individualized areas of study in four accredited divisions placed 245th overall by The Wall Street Journal at the Sarah Lawrence College website.