Sarah Lawrence College

Admission to Sarah Lawrence College is moderately selective, though its standing among national peers has declined in recent cycles. In the 2027 U.S. News ranking of National Liberal Arts Colleges, the college placed 125th, falling from 68th in 2020. The college accepted applicants at an admit rate of 61.7% in 2025, showing that prospective students with solid academic profiles have a reasonable chance of being admitted. Meanwhile, convincing admitted applicants to enroll presents an ongoing hurdle. In 2025, the college registered a yield rate of 14.6%, meaning only a small fraction of admitted students ultimately matriculated. Even though this yield rate was higher than 67% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 private liberal arts colleges, the low absolute rate indicates that the college must compete vigorously against peer institutions to build its freshman classes. For applicants, this admissions dynamic suggests that meeting the college's standard academic benchmarks provides a realistic path to admission, as the institution works hard to attract each admitted student.

Applicants evaluating their academic profile for Sarah Lawrence College will find that standardized testing is submitted by only a small minority of students, though test scores among submitters remain strong. In 2025, the median SAT score among matriculating students was 1360, which was higher than 85% of peer schools within a comparison group of reporting private liberal arts colleges. However, the reliance on testing has dropped substantially over time. Just 9% of entering students submitted SAT scores in 2025, and only 4% submitted ACT results. For those who did submit, scores typically fell in the upper ranges across reading and math sections, and historic high school records indicate that most admitted students presented strong secondary grade point averages. For candidates planning their applications, academic transcripts and classroom performance carry the primary weight in demonstrating preparation, while standardized tests represent a credential utilized by only a small fraction of the incoming cohort.

Academics at Sarah Lawrence College follow a distinctive structure where undergraduate studies are unified rather than split into conventional departmental majors. In 2025, all 354 bachelor graduates received their degrees in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, concentrating 100% of undergraduate degree recipients in this single program. None of the institution's academic programs hold national major rankings. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in this liberal arts field earned a median salary of $28,372 one year after completing their degrees. At the advanced level, the college awarded 94 master's degrees in 2025, spanning focused areas such as creative writing, genetic counseling, and education. International students made up a larger portion of the master's cohort than of the undergraduate class. For prospective students, this model means the undergraduate curriculum offers an open-ended liberal arts education without separate major pathways, leading to modest early career earnings that require realistic post-graduation planning.

Sarah Lawrence College maintains a predominantly female student body with strong domestic representation across its programs. In the 2025 entering undergraduate cohort, international students numbered 25, accounting for 6% of new arrivals. Asian students in the same class numbered 18, representing 4.3% of the cohort. Domestic white students form the largest demographic group across both undergraduate and graduate levels, alongside smaller communities of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. Graduate programs also feature a notable foreign presence, where international students represent a meaningful share of degree candidates. For prospective applicants, the college provides a tight-knit campus setting where international and Asian learners participate as small, distinct communities within the broader student population.

The student body at Sarah Lawrence College displays a distinct age division between its undergraduate and graduate divisions. In 2025, undergraduates were overwhelmingly of traditional college age, with students aged 18 to 19 making up 46% of undergraduate enrollment and those aged 20 to 21 accounting for 42.4%. Only a small fraction of undergraduates were older, keeping undergraduate campus life centered heavily on students transitioning directly from high school into a traditional residential setting. In contrast, the graduate student population is composed of older students pursuing post-baccalaureate studies. Students aged 22 to 24 formed the largest graduate bracket at 39.9%, followed by those in their late twenties. This age profile creates an undergraduate experience dominated by young adults, while graduate students bring an older, professionally directed presence to campus.

At the undergraduate level, the international presence has declined over the past decade, with international students comprising 5.2% of the undergraduate body in 2025, matching the median among peer private liberal arts colleges. Conversely, graduate programs have maintained a firmer international share, rising to 13.9% of all graduate students in 2025. Among degree recipients in 2025, international scholars accounted for 7.3% of bachelor's graduates, all completing degrees in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. At the master's level, international graduates concentrated heavily in specialized professional tracks, most notably Genetic Counseling/Counselor, where international students represented 33.3% of the graduating cohort, alongside smaller enrollments in creative writing and dance therapy. For prospective international applicants, these patterns indicate that while the undergraduate international community has contracted, specialized master's programs continue to attract a distinct global contingent.

Applicants considering Sarah Lawrence College can explore several other four-year institutions located within a short distance in the greater metropolitan area. The closest option is Fordham University, a national university located 5.6 kilometers away that held the 85th spot in the 2027 rankings. Just 7.4 kilometers from campus sits Yeshiva University, which was ranked 90th among national universities. For students interested in women's liberal arts education, Barnard College is located 10.7 kilometers away and achieved a 19th-place ranking among liberal arts colleges in 2027. Right beside it at the same 10.7-kilometer distance stands Columbia University in the City of New York, ranked 12th nationwide. These institutions offer diverse academic settings within close reach.

Campus safety at Sarah Lawrence College has seen an overall reduction in reported offenses over the past decade. The college's crime rate per 1,000 students stood at 14.7 in 2025, declining from 21.3 in 2016. Across the three-year period from 2023 through 2025, the overwhelming majority of documented incidents consisted of disciplinary referrals for substance policy violations. During those years, campus authorities recorded 68 disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations and 42 disciplinary referrals for drug offenses. Direct criminal offenses occurred at lower frequencies over the same three-year timeframe, including reports of rape, stalking, and sexual harassment, as well as several disciplinary referrals involving weapons. When evaluating campus environment safety, prospective families can observe that non-violent behavioral infractions related to alcohol and drugs make up the bulk of campus incidents, while the overall rate per student has moderated over time.