St Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University has improved its standing in the US News National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking in recent years, moving from 68th in 2023 to 49th in 2027. Gaining admission is relatively accessible compared to institutions in its bracket. In 2025, the university admitted 54.3% of applicants, an acceptance rate higher than 67% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. However, the college experiences difficulty in convincing accepted applicants to enroll. Its yield rate stood at 12.8% in 2025, placing it higher than 3% of peer schools in that comparison group. This low yield indicates that while St. Lawrence extends offers to a broad share of candidates, most admitted students ultimately decide to attend other institutions. For prospective students, this balance of a rising national rank and an accessible admissions process means securing an offer is practical, even as the college contends with stiff competition from peer institutions.

Applicants evaluating St. Lawrence University can gauge their academic preparation against typical profiles of enrolled test submitters. For the entering cohort in 2025, the median SAT score was 1350, which was higher than 36% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. Among students who provided ACT results, the middle 50% composite range spanned from 30 to 33. The middle 50% score bands on the SAT reading and math sections similarly reflect solid secondary school preparation. However, standardized testing is submitted by only a small fraction of incoming undergraduates, as most students now matriculate without reporting standardized test results. For prospective applicants, reaching or exceeding the median SAT score or middle ACT range aligns well with the typical profile of submitters, though overall high school academic performance and curricular rigor remain central to admissions evaluation.

Graduation patterns at St. Lawrence University show moderate concentration across classic liberal arts disciplines rather than heavy specialization. In 2025, the college conferred 530 bachelor degrees, with the top three fields representing 29.1% of all undergraduate completions. The largest undergraduate departments by graduate volume are general psychology, general economics, and political science and government. However, the college does not possess nationally elite programs under published criteria; in 2027 US News undergraduate rankings, economics placed 161st and psychology placed 474th, meaning its most popular subjects fall outside the top one hundred. International participation is unevenly distributed, with higher representation in economics and mathematics than in psychology. Post-graduation earnings vary markedly depending on the area of study. According to 2023 earnings data measured one year after college, economics graduates achieved a median salary of $64,957, while general English language and literature graduates earned a median of $48,523. For prospective students, academic opportunities focus on core arts and sciences, where earnings potential hinges significantly on discipline choice.

The student body at St. Lawrence University is predominantly undergraduate and relatively uniform in racial background. In 2025, total enrollment reached 1,991 students, with the vast majority studying at the bachelor level alongside a tiny graduate population. White students constitute the large majority of the student body across all class years. International students form a visible presence, comprising 57 incoming first-year students, or 13.4% of the entering class, alongside more than one hundred returning international undergraduates. By comparison, domestic racial diversity remains modest. Asian students account for 11 members of the freshman cohort, representing a small segment of the campus community that remains similarly limited among returning undergraduates. Overall gender distribution among undergraduates is nearly balanced between male and female students. For prospective applicants, the demographic profile reflects a small, undergraduate-focused institution with an international contingent but limited representation among Asian and other domestic minority groups.

The student body at St. Lawrence University consists almost entirely of traditional college-age students. In 2025, undergraduates aged 20 to 21 made up 47.1% of the undergraduate population, while those aged 18 to 19 accounted for 40.7%. Older undergraduates represent a minor share of enrollment. Graduate enrollment is also concentrated among young adults, with 66.7% of graduate students between ages 22 and 24. For applicants evaluating the campus environment, this age profile means daily student life and social activities are centered on peers progressing directly from high school through a four-year residential experience, with virtually no adult or continuing-education presence.

International enrollment at St. Lawrence University has expanded over the past decade, establishing a meaningful global cohort within its undergraduate community. In 2025, international undergraduates represented 10.8% of the bachelor student population, an enrollment share higher than 80% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. This represents an increase from earlier years. At the graduate level, international enrollment is limited in raw numbers but comprises a comparable proportion of the tiny graduate division. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students showed clear academic concentrations in quantitative and analytical fields. International students earned 19.6% of degrees awarded in general economics and 19.2% of degrees in general mathematics, while representing much smaller fractions of graduates in political science and psychology. For international applicants, these trends show an established overseas presence on campus, with the strongest peer communities clustering in economics and math programs.

Families exploring higher education options near Canton, New York, will find several distinct institutions within driving distance. Located just 9.4 kilometers away, Clarkson University is a national university ranked 137th in 2027. Across Lake Champlain, University of Vermont is another national university option, situated 97.1 kilometers away and ranked 133rd. Students seeking peer liberal arts colleges have notable choices somewhat further away in the region. Middlebury College, located 106 kilometers away in Vermont, ranked 19th among national liberal arts colleges in 2027. In central New York, Hamilton College sits 107.1 kilometers away and held the 14th spot on the 2027 liberal arts college ranking list. These nearby options allow prospective students to compare St. Lawrence with both research universities and highly ranked liberal arts peers in upstate New York and northern New England.

Campus safety records at St. Lawrence University indicate a notable reduction in per-capita offenses over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students fell to 7.1 in 2025, marking a substantial long-term decrease across the institution. Over the three-year span from 2023 to 2025, reported offenses were primarily concentrated in interpersonal and sexual misconduct categories. Across those years, the highest category totals included 16 incidents of stalking and 16 incidents of rape, alongside smaller counts of dating violence, sexual harassment, and disciplinary referrals for drug and liquor violations. The downward trajectory in per-student incidents is positive, but the concentration of interpersonal offenses underscores the importance of reviewing institutional prevention initiatives, reporting protocols, and campus support services before enrolling.