Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY 2,444 Undergrads 92.5% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$87,419

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$39,343

After Aid

Median Earnings

$61,818

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$39,343

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$61,818

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$71,366

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate92.5%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age19.4

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients20.2%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time98.5%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS69.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

18.6%

SAT Avg

1,494

SAT Reading

25th: 73073575th: 770

SAT Math

25th: 72074575th: 780

ACT Composite

25th: 333375th: 35

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$550k

+$83k

+$66k

Median Cost$39k/yr

+$409k

-$58k

-$76k

Full Cost$87k/yr

+$236k

-$231k

-$249k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$39k/yr

Never

-53%

Full Cost$87k/yr

Never

-79%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-57%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-82%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology

BachCIP: 4502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Area Studies

BachCIP: 0501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,625

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Astronomy and Astrophysics

BachCIP: 4002

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $68,333

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$41,025

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

-$234k

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$45,359

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$212k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Classical and Ancient Studies

BachCIP: 3022

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,477

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Cognitive Science

BachCIP: 3025

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $81,496

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

BachCIP: 0901

Median Debt

$16,750

Earnings (4yr)

$58,163

Natl Median: $56,359

Lifetime Value Added

-$105k

Computer and Information Sciences, General

BachCIP: 1101

Median Debt

$17,037

Earnings (4yr)

$124,469

Natl Median: $92,374

Lifetime Value Added

+$403k

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

$20,000

Earnings (4yr)

$40,165

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

-$256k

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1603

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$52,552

Natl Median: $51,642

Lifetime Value Added

-$160k

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$102,584

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

+$237k

Education, General

BachCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$39,741

Natl Median: $49,808

Lifetime Value Added

-$246k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$60,461

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$87k

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

BachCIP: 0502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,710

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

$17,993

Earnings (4yr)

$42,956

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

-$232k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$18,985

Earnings (4yr)

$63,418

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$63k

Geography and Cartography

BachCIP: 4507

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$24,421

Natl Median: $57,853

Lifetime Value Added

-$385k

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,459

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$59,814

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$92k

International Relations and National Security Studies

BachCIP: 4509

Median Debt

$20,232

Earnings (4yr)

$63,591

Natl Median: $66,596

Lifetime Value Added

-$62k

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$18,650

Earnings (4yr)

$61,359

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

-$79k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (5yr)

$77,602

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

+$34k

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,693

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$27,476

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$357k

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

BachCIP: 2615

Median Debt

$16,000

Earnings (2yr)

$26,353

Natl Median: $62,451

Lifetime Value Added

-$367k

Philosophy

BachCIP: 3801

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,455

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

BachCIP: 4008

Median Debt

$17,000

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $76,786

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

$17,500

Earnings (4yr)

$69,942

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

-$13k

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Research and Experimental Psychology

BachCIP: 4227

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$65,095

Natl Median: $55,695

Lifetime Value Added

-$50k

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$54,839

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$132k

Science, Technology and Society

BachCIP: 3015

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $67,452

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1604

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,169

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$61,106

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$81k

Urban Studies/Affairs

BachCIP: 4512

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$59,930

Natl Median: $62,532

Lifetime Value Added

-$91k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.