AU vs. Sarah Lawrence

Should I go to American University or Sarah Lawrence College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if AU or Sarah Lawrence is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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American University vs. Sarah Lawrence College comparison
American University Sarah Lawrence College College 3 College 4
American University Sarah Lawrence College
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Overview

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Location Washington, DC Bronxville, NY
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,019 1,743
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #84 #127
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website american.edu slc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Tuition (In State) $55,724 $63,128
Tuition (Out of State) $55,724 $63,128
Room & Board $17,012 $17,546
Avg Net Price $40,189 $43,571
Avg Grant Aid $31,402 $35,677
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 84%

Admission

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,786 4,819
Admitted 8,427 2,840
Acceptance Rate 47.4% 58.9%
Enrolled % 22% 14.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 29/33 29/33
SAT Range 1300/1450 1270/1440
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (43%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Psychology (3%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

Outcomes

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Graduation Rate 77% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,800 $44,100
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $13,500
Median Loan Payment $250 $139

Diversity

 AU Sarah Lawrence
% Men 15% 2%
% Women 25% 11%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 53%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 7% 13%
% Unknown Race 4% 8%

Students

 AU Sarah Lawrence
% In-State 2% 18%
% Out-of-State 94% 76%

Campus

 AU Sarah Lawrence
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • American University is larger than than Sarah Lawrence based on total student enrollment (13,019 students vs. 1,743 students)

AU vs. Sarah Lawrence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, AU or Sarah Lawrence?

  • Sarah Lawrence College is 13.3% more expensive to attend than AU for in-state tuition ($63,128.00 vs. $55,724.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.3% higher at Sarah Lawrence than American University ($63,128.00 vs. $55,724.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at American University than Sarah Lawrence ($40,189 vs. $43,571)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American University are 3.1% lower than costs at Sarah Lawrence College ($17,012 vs. $17,546)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sarah Lawrence College than American University (84% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sarah Lawrence College students is 13.6% larger than aid received American University ($35,677 vs. $31,402)

AU vs. Sarah Lawrence Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, AU or Sarah Lawrence? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Sarah Lawrence or AU .

  • Accepted freshman Sarah Lawrence students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at AU (3.7)
  • Sarah Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (58.9%) than AU (47.4%)

AU vs. Sarah Lawrence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, AU or Sarah Lawrence? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Sarah Lawrence and AU.

  • The graduation rate at AU is higher than Sarah Lawrence College (77% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from American University earn on average $20,700 more per year than Sarah Lawrence graduates after ten years. ($64,800 vs. $44,100)
  • Sarah Lawrence College students graduate with a $10,750 lower median federal student loan debt than AU graduates. ($13,500 vs. $24,250)
  • Sarah Lawrence graduates are paying $111 less per month on federal student loans than AU graduates. ($139 vs. $250)
  • More Sarah Lawrence graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/