John Jay vs. Sarah Lawrence

Should I go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice or Sarah Lawrence College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if John Jay 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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CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice vs. Sarah Lawrence College comparison
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Sarah Lawrence College College 3 College 4
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Sarah Lawrence College
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Overview

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
Location New York, NY Bronxville, NY
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,510 1,743
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #556 #127
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu slc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $63,128
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $63,128
Room & Board $21,788 $17,546
Avg Net Price $4,141 $43,571
Avg Grant Aid $9,284 $35,677
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 84%

Admission

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,921 4,819
Admitted 10,255 2,840
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 58.9%
Enrolled % 19.8% 14.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.75
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Average Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 29/33
SAT Range 1000/1250 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

Academics

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (54%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Legal Professions (5%)
  • Human Services (3%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

Outcomes

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
Graduation Rate 39% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $44,100
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,000 $13,500
Median Loan Payment $103 $139

Diversity

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
% Men 4% 2%
% Women 9% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 18% 53%
% Black 17% 4%
% Hispanic 48% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 7%
% International 3% 13%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

John Jay Sarah Lawrence
% In-State 90% 18%
% Out-of-State 0% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is larger than than Sarah Lawrence based on total student enrollment (13,510 students vs. 1,743 students)

John Jay vs. Sarah Lawrence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, John Jay or Sarah Lawrence?

  • Sarah Lawrence College is 810.9% more expensive to attend than John Jay for in-state tuition ($63,128.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 324.2% higher at Sarah Lawrence than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($63,128.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than Sarah Lawrence ($4,141 vs. $43,571)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sarah Lawrence College are 24.2% lower than costs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($17,546 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than Sarah Lawrence College (87% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sarah Lawrence College students is 284.3% larger than aid received CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($35,677 vs. $9,284)

John Jay vs. Sarah Lawrence Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Sarah Lawrence students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at John Jay (3.24)
  • Sarah Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (58.9%) than John Jay (57.2%)

John Jay vs. Sarah Lawrence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, John Jay 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 John Jay.

  • The graduation rate at Sarah Lawrence is higher than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (70% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice earn on average $3,800 more per year than Sarah Lawrence graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $44,100)
  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Sarah Lawrence graduates. ($10,000 vs. $13,500)
  • John Jay graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Sarah Lawrence graduates. ($103 vs. $139)
  • More Sarah Lawrence graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former John Jay students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 52%)

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