Vassar College vs Elon University

Vassar College and Elon University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Vassar, a liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 24%, while Elon, a private university in Elon, North Carolina, is slightly more accessible with an acceptance rate of 68%. Both institutions excel in academics, with Vassar ranking among the top liberal arts colleges in the nation and Elon recognized for its strong undergraduate teaching. While Vassar's student body is predominantly female, Elon's is more evenly balanced between genders. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions in popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Elon University logo

Elon University

Vassar College logo

Vassar College

Overview

Location Elon, North Carolina Poughkeepsie, New York
Campus setting Suburb: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 88.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 77.7% 20.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range N/A 1420 - 1540
ACT range N/A 32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0%
Total number of applicants 17,834 10,884
Total number of admissions given out 13,859 2,193
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,591 679
Yield rate 11.5% 31.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $55,647 $81,330
Average net price $40,366 $27,249
Tuition $38,218 $61,940
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,593

Meal plan: $6,829
$15,710
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

67.0%
Average amount $13,677
57.0%
Average amount $49,162
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $5,259
46.0%
Average amount $3,729
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $25,192
4.0%
Average amount $14,435

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,302
Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
2,516
Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students 825
Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 80.6% N/A
International students 2.0% 8.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,192 2,448
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.3% 92.5%
Dropout rate 16.7% 5.6%
Transferred out N/A 2.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,556
  • Year 2: $104,061
  • Year 3: $105,320
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,803
  • Year 2: $71,854
  • Year 3: $78,720
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,320
  • Year 2: $60,016
  • Year 3: $77,567
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,276
  • Year 2: $54,192
  • Year 3: $77,220
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,564
  • Year 2: $62,154
  • Year 3: $76,604
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,888
  • Year 2: $69,629
  • Year 3: $70,208
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,091
  • Year 2: $50,022
  • Year 3: $64,255
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,189
  • Year 3: $59,817
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,293
  • Year 2: $36,674
  • Year 3: $58,053
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,055
  • Year 3: $55,617
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,930
  • Year 2: $69,535
  • Year 3: $93,622
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,665
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $66,026
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,871
  • Year 2: $49,683
  • Year 3: $59,758
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,233
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $45,366
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,929
  • Year 2: $31,670
  • Year 3: $43,616
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,086
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,522
  • Year 2: $35,600
  • Year 3: $38,666
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,708
  • Year 3: $38,274
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,008
  • Year 2: $28,236
  • Year 3: $36,733
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,175
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: $35,465

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