Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
5% gap between the two groups
1% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $15,953 |
| $30k–$48k | $14,548 |
| $48k–$75k | $14,126 |
| $75k–$110k | $25,773 |
| $110k+ | $56,615 |
How Vassar College compares
This college against the New York and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Vassar College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Vassar College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's | $115,240 | $17,037 | +727% | Strong return |
| Economics | Associate's | $103,043 | $19,000 | +578% | Strong return |
| Mathematics | Associate's | $77,602 | $19,000 | +281% | Strong return |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Associate's | $75,748 | $20,232 | +257% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $72,327 | $17,500 | +221% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $71,377 | $19,000 | +208% | Strong return |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Associate's | $66,304 | $18,985 | +149% | Strong return |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Associate's | $64,947 | $17,993 | +134% | Strong return |
| English Language and Literature, General | Associate's | $58,430 | $19,000 | +57% | Break-even |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Associate's | $54,746 | $19,000 | +14% | Break-even |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Associate's | $52,552 | — | -4% | Poor return |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Associate's | $38,959 | $20,000 | -170% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Vassar College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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