Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, New York · Private Nonprofit · 61.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Poor Value
Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY is a selective private liberal arts college whose ROI score of 37 places it in the Poor Value tier on a strict cost-versus-earnings basis -- but the score deserves real context. The fundamentals SLC excels at are visible in the data: a 71.3% six-year completion rate (one of the strongest signals on our dashboard), an 85.1% three-year repayment rate (graduates pay down principal aggressively), and a median federal debt of $27,000 -- restrained for a school of this profile. What drags the score is the cost-to-early-earnings gap. Sticker tuition is $66,862, net price is $41,437, and four-year out-of-pocket runs $165,748 -- among the highest in our dataset. Median earnings six years after entry are just $31,400, climbing to $53,603 by the ten-year mark. The early-career earnings figure substantially undersells SLC's actual graduate trajectory: students from this LAC funnel disproportionately into writing, arts, social-impact nonprofits, publishing, and graduate school, where early-career earnings are structurally low but mid-career and lifetime earnings curve up steeply. The Scorecard's six-year snapshot captures the trough, not the trajectory. The 16.4-year payback period and 0.86 debt-to-earnings ratio are real numbers, but for SLC's specific student funnel -- many of whom go on to law, medicine, MFA programs, and creative careers -- the data alone tells an incomplete story.
The data raises concerns about Sarah Lawrence College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score37/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period16.4 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Sarah Lawrence College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $66,862/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $66,862/yr |
| Average net price | $41,437/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $165,748 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $53,603 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 71.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,530 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Sarah Lawrence College is $66,862/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $41,437/year, or roughly $165,748 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $29,876/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $47,810/year.
The median graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $286 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $53,603 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.86 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $29,876 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $29,810 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $40,869 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $35,340 |
| $110,001+ | $47,810 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $29,876 net -- a meaningful institutional aid commitment that brings the price down by about $37,000 from sticker. For Pell-eligible students this still represents roughly 100% of household income for a single year, but SLC's strong financial-aid posture is real. The four-year burden of about $120,000 is heavy; students should compare against full-need-met peers like Vassar or Wesleyan if admitted.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$30,001-48,000 pays $29,810 (essentially flat with the lowest band) and $48,001-75,000 jumps to $40,869 -- an $11,000 step-up that compresses middle-income aid sharply. $75,001-110,000 settles back to $35,340, an inverted bracket pattern likely reflecting merit-aid stacking for academically strong students at the upper-middle band. Middle-income families should run the SLC net price calculator carefully because the bracket structure is non-monotonic.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $47,810 -- the highest bracket, close to but not at sticker. Four-year cost approaches $191,000 for full-pay families. The ROI math is challenging on a pure earnings-versus-cost basis, but for families whose calculus includes graduate-school placement, creative-career networks, and the New York metro location, SLC's value proposition extends beyond what the numbers capture.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Sarah Lawrence College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $48,225 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is effectively the only reported program at SLC, with 312 graduates -- consistent with the school's interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary curriculum that resists traditional CIP categorization. First-year earnings of $25,846 climb to $48,225 by year four -- nearly doubling -- which validates the patient-earnings-curve thesis. Median debt of $24,245 produces a 0.938 ratio (D grade by the formal metric) but the four-year recovery and 85% repayment rate together signal that graduates are managing the debt successfully. The credential serves writers, artists, social-science researchers, and grad-school-bound students; the formal grade undersells the actual trajectory.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 81.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 85.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 83.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 88.4% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 61.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 590-690 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 650-740 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-31 |
| Enrollment | 1,530 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 11.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,235 |
SLC admits 61.7% of applicants -- moderately selective. SAT mid-ranges (Math 590-690, Reading 650-740) are among the strongest in our dataset, particularly the verbal section reflecting SLC's writing-and-humanities focus. The ACT 28-31 mid-range sits in the upper quartile of US four-year colleges. The combination of moderate selectivity, strong SAT verbal scores, and a 71.3% completion rate signals an academically prepared, self-directed student body that succeeds in SLC's narrative-evaluation curriculum.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
SLC's listed peer set is mixed. Adelphi University on Long Island is the closest geographic and structural comp -- a New York metropolitan private with similar net price; Adelphi's ROI metrics tend to score modestly higher because of its applied-professional program mix (nursing, business). Albany College of Pharmacy is a specialized pipeline school whose pharma focus drives much higher early earnings -- not a true comp on academic mission. Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee and Bethel University TN are smaller regional privates with very different student profiles. Felician University in NJ is a smaller Catholic private. SLC's true national peer set (Bennington, Hampshire, Reed, Bard) is not in the listed peers, but on completion and repayment rate SLC outperforms most listed peers despite the weaker headline ROI number.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Lawrence College (this school) | 37 | $41,437 | $53,603 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 41 | $20,406 | $49,956 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $12,595 | $47,482 |
Who Thrives Here
SLC enrolls 1,530 students with a 11.8% Pell rate -- a small, predominantly higher-income, residential campus 30 minutes from Manhattan. The school fits writers, artists, performers, and humanities-driven students who want a narrative-evaluation curriculum (no traditional grades), small seminar classes, and a deeply customized academic experience. The 71.3% completion rate confirms students who matriculate generally finish, and the 85.1% repayment rate indicates graduates land on their feet financially even when early-career earnings are modest. Students for whom near-term earnings drive the college decision should look elsewhere; students drawn to creative and intellectual fields with patient earnings curves are the natural fit.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Sarah Lawrence College. With a net cost of $41,437 per year and median graduate earnings of only $53,603 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 16.4 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Key strengths include a 71.3% graduation rate, high loan repayment success. However, the data also shows weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn and a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 against $53,603 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
New analyses, updated school profiles, and tools - when there’s something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.