Vassar College vs Hampshire College

When it comes to choosing the right college, Vassar College and Hampshire College stand out as two exceptional institutions with distinct offerings. Vassar, with its acceptance rate of 22%, is a highly selective liberal arts college known for its rigorous academics and vibrant campus life. Hampshire, on the other hand, boasts a more open admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 60% and is renowned for its innovative approach to education, emphasizing interdisciplinary studies and experiential learning. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in their student body demographics, popular majors, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Hampshire College	Vassar College
Overview
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts	Poughkeepsie, New York
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	72.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	20.1%
Application fees		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	1,340	10,884
Total number of admissions given out	1,007	2,193
Admitted students who chose to enroll	133	679
Yield rate	13.2%	31.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$66,658	$81,330
Average net price	$30,168	$27,249
Tuition	$51,000	$61,940
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,520 Meal plan: $5,912	$15,710
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $36,653	57.0% Average amount $49,162
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $4,793	46.0% Average amount $3,729
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $8,793	4.0% Average amount $14,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	472 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	2,516 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.4%	8.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,180	2,448
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Ethnic Studies	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	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.4%	92.5%
Dropout rate	37.3%	5.6%
Transferred out	N/A	2.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,720 Year 2: $19,829 Year 3: $23,704	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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