John Jay vs. Vassar

Should I go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice or Vassar College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if John Jay or Vassar 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Hamilton College Colgate Skidmore College Haverford College Tufts Barnard NYU Middlebury Amherst Wellesley Swarthmore Colby College
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice vs. Vassar College comparison
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Vassar College College 3 College 4
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Vassar College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

John Jay Vassar
Location New York, NY Poughkeepsie, NY
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 13,510 2,456
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #556 #46
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu vassar.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

John Jay Vassar
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $66,870
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $66,870
Room & Board $21,788 $17,415
Avg Net Price $4,141 $29,733
Avg Grant Aid $9,284 $53,840
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 58%

Admission

John Jay Vassar
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,921 12,145
Admitted 10,255 2,153
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 17.7%
Enrolled % 19.8% 32%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.86
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 33/35
SAT Range 1000/1250 1435/1550
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 1, 2026

Academics

John Jay Vassar
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (54%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Legal Professions (5%)
  • Human Services (3%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)

Outcomes

John Jay Vassar
Graduation Rate 39% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $58,400
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,000 $15,780
Median Loan Payment $103 $163

Diversity

John Jay Vassar
% Men 4% 0%
% Women 9% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 18% 59%
% Black 17% 5%
% Hispanic 48% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 3% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

John Jay Vassar
% In-State 90% 28%
% Out-of-State 0% 64%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is larger than than Vassar based on total student enrollment (13,510 students vs. 2,456 students)

John Jay vs. Vassar Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, John Jay or Vassar?

  • Vassar College is 864.9% more expensive to attend than John Jay for in-state tuition ($66,870.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 349.4% higher at Vassar than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($66,870.00 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 Vassar ($4,141 vs. $29,733)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Vassar College are 25.1% lower than costs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($17,415 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than Vassar College (87% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vassar College students is 479.9% larger than aid received CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($53,840 vs. $9,284)

John Jay vs. Vassar Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vassar College (1405) is 430 points higher than at John Jay (975)
  • Accepted freshman Vassar students have a 0.62 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at John Jay (3.24)
  • John Jay has a higher acceptance rate (57.2%) than Vassar (17.7%)

John Jay vs. Vassar Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, John Jay or Vassar? 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 Vassar and John Jay.

  • The graduation rate at Vassar is higher than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (91% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from Vassar College earn on average $10,500 more per year than John Jay graduates after ten years. ($58,400 vs. $47,900)
  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students graduate with a $5,780 lower median federal student loan debt than Vassar graduates. ($10,000 vs. $15,780)
  • John Jay graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Vassar graduates. ($103 vs. $163)
  • More Vassar graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former John Jay students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 52%)

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