Non-Profit Private
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Bronxville, New York
58.9% Acceptance Rate
Sarah Lawrence College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
58.9%Acceptance Rate
3.75Avg GPA
1374Avg SAT
31Avg ACT
$79,320Annual Cost
$53,603Grad Salary
12.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
58.9%
Avg GPA
3.75
Avg SAT
1374
Avg ACT
31
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1270–1440
ACT Middle 50%
29–33
Need-Based Aid
12.7% receive Pell
Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College, founded in 1926 in Bronxville, New York, is a prestigious private liberal arts college known for its distinctive educational approach. The 44-acre campus offers a rigorous curriculum with no traditional majors, instead using a system of individualized study plans and small seminar courses. Sarah Lawrence maintains a 9:1 student-faculty ratio with a unique 'don' system of faculty mentorship. The college is particularly renowned for its writing, performing arts, and psychology programs. Campus facilities include the modern Barbara Walters Campus Center and the Performing Arts Center.
Sarah Lawrence takes pride in its progressive tradition and commitment to interdisciplinary, student-directed learning. All students complete a year-long senior project demonstrating mastery of their chosen area. Campus life includes NCAA Division III athletics and vibrant arts programming. Recent additions include the Science Center and renovated visual arts studios. Sarah Lawrence's combination of academic freedom, close faculty engagement, and proximity to New York City creates a distinctive liberal arts experience focused on intellectual exploration.
Sarah Lawrence College Acceptance Rate
At 58.9%, admission to Sarah Lawrence College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Sarah Lawrence College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 58.9% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.75 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.55 – 3.74
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.30
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Sarah Lawrence College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Sarah Lawrence College is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 86 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 2
Decision by: February 15
Regular Decision
January 15
Decision by: April 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (February 1, 2027) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Sarah Lawrence College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Sarah Lawrence College is 3.75. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.45 and 3.75? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.95–4.15.Sarah Lawrence College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.75 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.55 – 3.74
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.35 – 3.54
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.34
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- One optional supplemental essay, 250-500 words, choice of 4 prompts (hyphenate interests, self-designed prompt, community/diversity, or a "spoke your truth" values prompt).
- No grades-first culture: transcripts carry letter grades for external reporting, but the primary internal feedback is narrative evaluation from faculty - GPA and class rank are not conferred at all.
- Two academic teacher recommendations required; standardized testing (SAT/ACT) is fully optional and does not disadvantage non-submitters.
- Every first-year student takes a yearlong seminar taught by their assigned don, who becomes their academic advisor - this relationship, not a general advising office, drives course planning.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Sarah Lawrence College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Sarah Lawrence College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Sarah Lawrence College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Sarah Lawrence College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Sarah Lawrence College Without SAT or ACT?
Sarah Lawrence College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Sarah Lawrence College Average SAT Score: 1374
The average SAT score of admitted students at Sarah Lawrence College is 1374 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1374 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean, without being in elite-tier territory.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1440 SAT or 33 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Sarah Lawrence College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1270, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Sarah Lawrence College. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 650 | 590 | 710 |
| SAT Reading | 705 | 680 | 730 |
| SAT Composite | 1374 | 1270 | 1440 |
Below 1270, you're behind most admitted students; at 1440 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1350
Can I get into Sarah Lawrence College with a 1450 SAT?
A 1450 SAT puts you ahead of most of Sarah Lawrence College's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Sarah Lawrence College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Sarah Lawrence College is 31.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 31 — Very Competitive
An average of 31 is well above the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 28 | 25 | 31 |
| ACT English | 33 | 31 | 35 |
| ACT Composite | 31 | 29 | 33 |
Can I get into Sarah Lawrence College with a 33 ACT?
A 33 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Sarah Lawrence College's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Sarah Lawrence College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Sarah Lawrence College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Sarah Lawrence College isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Write the optional essay as if it's required - SLC reads engagement, not just merit
Sarah Lawrence's one supplemental essay (250-500 words, choose 1 of 4 prompts) is technically optional, but skipping it in a highly self-directed applicant pool signals low interest. Choose the "hyphenate" prompt (fusing two disparate interests) only if you have a genuinely specific, lived example - admissions has read hundreds of generic "artist-scientist" essays and can tell when the fusion is invented for the prompt rather than real.
Address the don-and-seminar system directly in your essay or interview
SLC's entire academic model runs on the seminar-conference system: 15-student seminars plus one-on-one "conference" work with a faculty advisor called a don, and narrative evaluations instead of GPA-driven transcripts. Reference a specific self-directed project you'd want to pursue in conference work (not just "small classes sound nice") - this shows you understand the structure isn't just small classes, it's independent scholarship with faculty mentorship.
Explain why you want an open curriculum, specifically
SLC has no distribution requirements or core curriculum - you design your own course of study with your don's guidance. If you're coming from a rigid AP/IB high school track, use your essay to explain a specific reason you want to leave that structure behind, tied to an actual intellectual interest, rather than vaguely praising "flexibility," which reads as avoidance of requirements rather than intellectual initiative.
Don't over-index on test scores - but do make your two teacher recommendations count
Standardized testing is fully optional and not disadvantaging if omitted, but SLC requires two academic teacher recommendations as a hard requirement. Choose recommenders who can speak to your independence as a thinker and your seminar-style discussion skills specifically, since that's exactly what the don system will demand of you on day one.
Expert Insight:
Students sometimes choose the "design your own prompt" essay option assuming it's the easiest path, but with total freedom comes total risk - a self-created prompt with no clear thesis is one of the most common weak-essay patterns admissions counselors flag at SLC, so treat it as the hardest option, not the easy one, unless you already have a sharply focused idea.
Sarah Lawrence College Profile
Full Name
Sarah Lawrence College
City
Bronxville
State
New York
ZIP Code
10708
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a Sarah Lawrence College Degree Worth It?
Whether Sarah Lawrence College is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $76,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.42%.
How much does a degree from Sarah Lawrence College Cost?
The sticker price is $79,320/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
12.7% of students receive a Pell Grant and 42.4% take federal loans at Sarah Lawrence College. File your FAFSA early and list Sarah Lawrence College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Sarah Lawrence College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $53,603. That's about 32% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Sarah Lawrence College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 1336 | 29 |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | 1353 | 31 |
| University of Denver | Denver, CO | 1344 | 31 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy, CO | 1362 | 30 |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 1338 | 31 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 1363 | 30 |
| Centre College | Danville, KY | 1345 | 29 |
| Bentley University | Waltham, MA | 1340 | 31 |
| Clark University | Worcester, MA | 1339 | 32 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Sarah Lawrence College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
| St. John's College | Annapolis, MD | 1381 | 31 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield, MN | 1373 | 30 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ | 1383 | 31 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Sarah Lawrence College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 1417 | 32 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | 1445 | 33 |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1412 | 32 |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | 1433 | 33 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | 1416 | 32 |
Degree Programs at Sarah Lawrence College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Masters Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Sarah Lawrence College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Sarah Lawrence College run about $53,603 a year.
At about $79,320 a year, Sarah Lawrence College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Sarah Lawrence College's Pell Grant rate of 12.7% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 58.9%, Sarah Lawrence College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Sarah Lawrence College average a 3.75 GPA.
Sarah Lawrence College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.45 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.35, Sarah Lawrence College becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Sarah Lawrence College — aim above 1374, ideally within the 1270–1440 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Sarah Lawrence College is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is February 1, 2027. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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