Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $47,566 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $23.3K more than the national median. The 90% who received grants paid $43,629 on average; the other 10% paid the full sticker price of $82,624.
- Full price
- $82,624 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
- Merit aid
- 33% · avg $38K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $45K · 33% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $30K a year |
| $30–48K | $30K a year |
| $48–75K | $41K a year |
| $75–110K | $35K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
$47,566
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
90% got grants averaging $38,838; 10% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$27K
≈ $286/month for 10 years
3.5 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
40% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full20–24%
- Paying it down35–39%
- Payments paused20–28%
- Not paying it down10–14%
- Behind or in default0–10%
- Forgiven or discharged0–5%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
GenerousGrants cover 42% of the $82,624 full price on average across all first-years (generous), more than at 56% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.
$35,058 in grants per first-year ÷ $82,624 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (411), 2023–24
About 1 in 10 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $82,624.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (411)
- Federal aid + grants223avg grant $41K
- Grants, no federal aid148avg grant $35.5K
- No grants40pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (223 of 411), because income is only reported for them.
From Sarah Lawrence College's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2025–26 (estimated).
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 65%227 students | – |
| Need met, on average | 77% | 76% |
| Need fully met | 24% | 22% |
| Average aid package | $51,696 | $48,561 |
| Average need-based grant | $48,948 | $45,667 |
| Average need-based loan | $2,750 | $3,479 |
| Merit aid without need | 33%average $38,122 | – |
35% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Priority date: January 15 · Deadline: January 15 · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | ✓ | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the college's own form.
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Sarah Lawrence College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Sarah Lawrence College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)