BC vs. Sarah Lawrence

Deciding between Boston College and Sarah Lawrence College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Boston College
Sarah Lawrence College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • BC Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Sarah Lawrence Bronxville, NY
  • Setting
  • BC Small City
  • Sarah Lawrence Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • BC 15,432
  • Sarah Lawrence 1,798
  • Type
  • BC Private 4 Year
  • Sarah Lawrence Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BC #34
  • Sarah Lawrence #144
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BC Roman Catholic
  • Sarah Lawrence -
  • Status
  • BC Non-profit
  • Sarah Lawrence Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BC
  • Sarah Lawrence

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BC $70,702
  • Sarah Lawrence $66,862
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BC $70,702
  • Sarah Lawrence $66,862
  • Room & Board
  • BC $18,916
  • Sarah Lawrence $18,426
  • Average Net Price
  • BC $32,519
  • Sarah Lawrence $43,629
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BC $56,971
  • Sarah Lawrence $38,838
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BC 40%
  • Sarah Lawrence 90%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BC 35,037
  • Sarah Lawrence 4,617
  • Admitted
  • BC 5,755
  • Sarah Lawrence 2,850
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BC 16.4%
  • Sarah Lawrence 61.7%
  • Enrolled
  • BC 43.5%
  • Sarah Lawrence 14.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • BC 1490
  • Sarah Lawrence 1340
  • Typical ACT score
  • BC 34
  • Sarah Lawrence 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • BC 3.86
  • Sarah Lawrence 3.75
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BC A-
  • Sarah Lawrence A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • BC Elite
  • Sarah Lawrence Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • BC Very High
  • Sarah Lawrence Low
  • ACT Range
  • BC 33/35
  • Sarah Lawrence 28/31
  • SAT Range
  • BC 1440/1540
  • Sarah Lawrence 1240/1430
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BC Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
  • Sarah Lawrence Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
  • Application Deadline
  • BC Jan 1, 2027
  • Sarah Lawrence Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BC 10:1
  • Sarah Lawrence 10:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BC
    • Business (24%)
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • English and Literature (7%)
  • Sarah Lawrence
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BC 91%
  • Sarah Lawrence 70%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BC $90,900
  • Sarah Lawrence $44,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BC 90%
  • Sarah Lawrence 83%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BC $19,000
  • Sarah Lawrence $13,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BC $196
  • Sarah Lawrence $139

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BC 42%
  • Sarah Lawrence 13%
  • % Women
  • BC 58%
  • Sarah Lawrence 87%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BC Medium
  • Sarah Lawrence High
  • HBCU
  • BC No
  • Sarah Lawrence No
  • % White
  • BC 62%
  • Sarah Lawrence 53%
  • % Asian
  • BC 10%
  • Sarah Lawrence 5%
  • % Black
  • BC 4%
  • Sarah Lawrence 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • BC 10%
  • Sarah Lawrence 10%
  • % Native American
  • BC 0%
  • Sarah Lawrence 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BC 0%
  • Sarah Lawrence 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BC 3%
  • Sarah Lawrence 7%
  • % International
  • BC 6%
  • Sarah Lawrence 13%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BC 6%
  • Sarah Lawrence 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BC 23%
  • Sarah Lawrence 15%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BC 69%
  • Sarah Lawrence 78%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BC Yes
  • Sarah Lawrence Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BC No
  • Sarah Lawrence No
  • Meal Plan
  • BC Yes
  • Sarah Lawrence Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BC No
  • Sarah Lawrence No
  • Daycare Facility
  • BC Yes
  • Sarah Lawrence No

Comparable Facts

Compare Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA with Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Boston College is larger than Sarah Lawrence based on total student enrollment (15,432 students vs. 1,798 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, MA (Small City setting); Sarah Lawrence College is in Bronxville, NY (Large Suburban setting).
  • Boston College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Sarah Lawrence College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Boston College 10:1; Sarah Lawrence College 10:1.

BC vs. Sarah Lawrence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Sarah Lawrence? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Boston College than Sarah Lawrence ($32,519 vs. $43,629).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sarah Lawrence College are 2.6% lower than at Boston College ($18,426 vs. $18,916).
  • Boston College is 5.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Sarah Lawrence (about $3,840 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $66,862.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 5.7% higher at BC than at Sarah Lawrence College (about $3,840 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $66,862.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sarah Lawrence College than at Boston College (90% vs. 40%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston College students is 46.7% larger than aid received by Sarah Lawrence College students ($56,971 vs. $38,838).

BC vs. Sarah Lawrence Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC or Sarah Lawrence? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Sarah Lawrence and BC.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Boston College (1490) is 150 points higher than at Sarah Lawrence (1340).
  • Incoming BC students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (34 vs. 29 at Sarah Lawrence).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 1440/1540; Sarah Lawrence College 1240/1430.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 33/35; Sarah Lawrence College 28/31.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BC - Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional); Sarah Lawrence - Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional).
  • Typical fall application deadline: BC Jan 1, 2027; Sarah Lawrence Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Sarah Lawrence (3.75).
  • Sarah Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (61.7%) than BC (16.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 43.5% at BC vs. 14.6% at Sarah Lawrence.

BC vs. Sarah Lawrence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BC and Sarah Lawrence? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Boston College's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than Sarah Lawrence College's (70%).
  • Graduates from Boston College earn a median of about $46,800 more per year than Sarah Lawrence graduates about ten years after starting college ($90,900 vs. $44,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Sarah Lawrence College graduates have a $5,500 lower median loan debt than BC graduates ($13,500 vs. $19,000).
  • Among borrowers, Sarah Lawrence graduates have an estimated $57 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than BC graduates ($139 vs. $196).
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sarah Lawrence students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.