Vassar College vs Spelman College

Vassar College and Spelman College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Vassar, a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, boasts a lower acceptance rate (22%) compared to Spelman's (58%), a private historically Black women's college in Atlanta, Georgia. While Vassar's student body is predominantly female (62%), Spelman's is exclusively female. Both colleges excel in academics, with Vassar's popular majors including Political Science, Economics, and English, while Spelman's strengths lie in Biology, Psychology, and Business Administration. Vassar's graduation rate stands at 88%, slightly higher than Spelman's 83%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these colleges' unique offerings and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Spelman College logo

Spelman College

Vassar College logo

Vassar College

Overview

Location Atlanta, Georgia Poughkeepsie, New York
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 50.8% 20.1%
Application fees $40
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 11,176 10,884
Total number of admissions given out 5,673 2,193
Admitted students who chose to enroll 794 679
Yield rate 14.0% 31.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,244 $81,330
Average net price $28,527 $27,249
Tuition $25,249 $61,940
Room & board $15,063 $15,710
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

96.0%
Average amount $10,839
57.0%
Average amount $49,162
Students receiving federal student loan 76.0%
Average amount $5,707
46.0%
Average amount $3,729
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $13,717
4.0%
Average amount $14,435

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,417
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
2,516
Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 76.0% N/A
International students 0.7% 8.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,401 2,448
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Georgia Maryland Texas California New York N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • English Language and Literature
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 76.2% 92.5%
Dropout rate 9.2% 5.6%
Transferred out 13.7% 2.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,695
  • Year 2: $48,667
  • Year 3: $59,027
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,667
  • Year 2: $37,748
  • Year 3: $52,483
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,355
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $44,720
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,573
  • Year 2: $35,600
  • Year 3: $39,388
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,944
  • Year 2: $25,525
  • Year 3: $39,024
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,532
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $38,350
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,318
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $20,552
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,181
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $15,552
  • Year 3: N/A
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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