Poughkeepsie, NY · Private · 2,444 undergraduates · suburban
Vassar College
Highly selective
An open curriculum is paired with a student-led residential house system that remains an organizing structure across class years.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in student experience, and exceptional in academic standing.- Admission
- 17.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 92.5%
12,145 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$71,366 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Vassar apart
Academic design
The open curriculum has no core or distribution requirements outside the chosen major.
Campus pattern
Nine traditional residential houses mix class years and are substantially self-governing.
A signature opportunity
Residential house system
Can I get in?
17.7% admitted
The strongest case shows why this structure fits a self-directed student who wants curricular freedom without giving up a highly structured, house-centered residential experience.
Recent applicant pool
12,145About 18 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 26% submitted an SAT, and 13% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Vassar, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Vassar weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The open curriculum has no core or distribution requirements outside the chosen major.
Make institutional fit specific
A self-directed student who wants curricular freedom without giving up a highly structured, house-centered residential experience.
Use the application route carefully
Keep the academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
Give commitments a clear through-line
Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Use the application to show a clear academic direction and a specific reason this institutional structure fits.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Vassar
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read the outcomes panel as a whole: completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together matter more than one headline number.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Research and Experimental Psychology
Mathematics
Biology, General
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
What is campus life like?
Vassar beyond the classroom
Nine traditional residential houses mix class years and are substantially self-governing. Faculty House Fellows and Student Fellows live within the house system.
The academic structure
The open curriculum has no core or distribution requirements outside the chosen major.
How the community is organized
Nine traditional residential houses mix class years and are substantially self-governing.
Daily campus life
Faculty House Fellows and Student Fellows live within the house system.
What shapes an ordinary week
Nine traditional residential houses mix class years and are substantially self-governing. Faculty House Fellows and Student Fellows live within the house system.
Use the campus beyond class
A self-directed student who wants curricular freedom without giving up a highly structured, house-centered residential experience.
Fit the community in practice
With no distribution requirements, breadth depends on the student’s own course choices and advising.