Sarah Lawrence College At-a-Glance

Sarah Lawrence College is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) www.msche.org. Sarah Lawrence College’s accreditation status is Accreditation Reaffirmed as posted on the institution’s Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS). The Commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on June 22, 2017, was to reaffirm accreditation. MSCHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidate status) activities for institutions of higher education including distance, correspondence education, and direct assessment programs offered at those institutions. The Commission’s geographic area of accrediting activities is throughout the United States.

The following degree programs are offered by Sarah Lawrence College as authorized by the Office of College & University Evaluation of the New York State Education Department*:

*New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education and the Professions Cultural Education Center, Room SB28, Albany, New York 12230; 518.474.5851.

Art of Teaching

2016

2015

2014

Dance/Movement Therapy

For more detailed information about Sarah Lawrence College, download the 2023-2024 Common Data Set.

The following are links to consumer information, notices, and disclosures provided in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), which reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Institutional & Student Information

• The Sarah Lawrence Education
• Faculty
• Undergraduate Disciplines
• Graduate Programs
• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Institutional and Program Accreditation
• Privacy of Student Records (FERPA)
• Policy: Institutional Recording of Student Complaints
• Transfer Credit Policy
• Disability Services
• Copyright Policy
• Textbook Price Lookup
• Computer and Network Acceptable Use Policy
• Academic and Student Life Contact Information
  • Dean of Studies Office
  • Student Affairs Office

Financial Information

• Cost of Attendance
• Sarah Lawrence College Net Tuition Price Calculator
• Withdrawal Refund Policies
• Loss of Academic Credit
• Financial Aid for Undergraduate Students
• Financial Aid for Graduate Students
• Student Employment/Work-Study

Health & Safety

• Security and Fire Safety Annual Report
• Drug-Free Campus and Workplace Program
• Student Medical Insurance Requirements
• Fire Safety Fines and Sanctions
• Campus Lockdown Procedures

Student Outcomes

Under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (2008), Sarah Lawrence College is required to make available the retention and graduation rates of degree-seeking, first-time, full-time undergraduate students. Of the cohort of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who initially enrolled at Sarah Lawrence in Fall 2018, 83% were actively enrolled at Sarah Lawrence in Fall 2019.

The percentage of the Fall 2013 first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduates who completed their studies and were awarded degrees by Sarah Lawrence College within six years of initial enrollment is as follows:

• Overall: 78%
• By Race/Ethnicity:
  • Hispanic/Latino: 78%
  • Asian: 70%
  • Black or African American: 79%
  • Two or more races: 64%
  • White: 78%
  • Non-resident alien: 81%
  • Race/Ethnicity unknown: 85%

Graduation Rates by Financial Aid Status

Under Title IV, Section 485(a)(7) of the Higher Education Act as amended, higher education institutions are required to disaggregate six-year graduation rates by financial aid status. Specifically, the original entering Fall cohort is divided into three aid categories, namely: recipients of Pell Grants; students who did not receive Pell Grants but who were recipients of a subsidized federal loan; and students who received neither a Pell Grant nor a subsidized loan as part of their financial aid award package. Here are the results for the class that entered in Fall 2013:

National Survey on Student Engagement

Sarah Lawrence College participates in the National Survey on Student Engagement initiative (NSSE), which measures students’ participation in studies and activities that are predictors of positive learning outcomes. In the 2011 administration of the survey, Sarah Lawrence first-year and senior students reported Levels of Academic Challenge and Student-Faculty Interaction within the top 10% of high-performing institutions. In fact, for both Level of Academic Challenge and Student-Faculty Interaction, Sarah Lawrence students reported statistically significant levels of engagement above the mean for the top 10% of high-performing institutions.

Graduate School Attendance and Study

Through the National Student Clearinghouse, Sarah Lawrence College has graduate school attendance of our alums. For specifics about rates of attendance, fields of study, and colleges attended, download our graduate school information sheet.

Credit Hour Standards: September 2016 Policy Statement

Sarah Lawrence College Credit-Bearing Program Approval, Compliance with Credit Hour Standards

The Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE) of the New York State Education Department, oversees all degree-granting colleges and universities in New York, and assures that the programs these institutions offer for credit meet or exceed minimum quality and instructional and contact hour standards. The Regents Rules and Commissioner’s Regulations (8 NYCRR §50.1(o)) define “semester hour” (and credit hour) in the New York State context. Sarah Lawrence College must comply with this definition and it is OCUE that enforces it. The definition set by New York State is as follows:

…. Semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of this Subchapter. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year.

All current credit-bearing programs at Sarah Lawrence College have been reviewed, approved and registered with OCUE and found in compliance with Section 50.1 as it pertains to credit/semester hours. OCUE’s Inventory of Approved and Registered Programs at Sarah Lawrence College. (New York State Education Department)

Any newly proposed credit-bearing curricula must comply with the instructional contact and supplementary assignment requirements set by New York State. The curricular program application process is coordinated by the Office of the Dean of the College and the Vice President of Administration (the College’s official OCUE contact). Any application for new or modified credit-bearing program submitted to OCUE must be in compliance with all applicable Regents Rules and Commissioner’s Regulations.

Audited Financial Statements

Audited financial statements are available upon request. Please send request in writing to:

Vice President for Finance & Operations
Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, NY 10708

Requests may also be made by phone at 914.395.2314.

Sarah Lawrence Policy Statement:  Compliance with 38 USC 3679 Pursuant to 38 USC 3679, Sarah Lawrence College acknowledges that it is required to permit individuals entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33,  Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which an individual provides to Sarah Lawrence a certificate of eligibility or entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or (a certificate of eligibility can also include a Statement of Benefits obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs, (VA) website eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes);and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility
3. Sarah Lawrence does not impose any penalties, including the assessment of late fees,the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any individual covered by this policy because of the individual's inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

The New York State Education Department has approved Sarah Lawrence College’s participation in SARA, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement setting protocols and standards for the delivery of distance education programs to students located in other SARA-member states. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) provides detailed information about student consumer protections under SARA on its website.

As a SARA-participating institution, Sarah Lawrence is committed to the principle that every student deserves a positive educational experience. Sometimes a student’s pedagogical experience may not be what they anticipate and the student may have a concern or a complaint about the content or delivery of educational offerings. Students with such complaints or concerns should contact the dean of graduate and professional studies directly at 914.395.2373 or kferguson@sarahlawrence.edu. In keeping with federal law (34 CFR 602.16(a)(1)(ix) and 34 CFR 668.43(b)) and the standards set forth by the College’s accreditor, a complaint made to Sarah Lawrence College should take the form of a formal, signed request specifying the nature and timeframe of the alleged infraction, identifying the person(s) and/or office(s) involved in the complaint and (iii) identifying a proposed form of redress.

If the matter is not resolved to a student’s satisfaction, the student may appeal to the Committee on Graduate and Professional Studies. The committee will review the matter and render a decision. The committee’s decision is final.

If a graduate student wishes to make a complaint against the dean of graduate and professional studies, the student may request a hearing with the Committee on Graduate and Professional Studies in writing to the director of administration. The director of administration can be contacted at 914.395.2373 or jmccann@sarahlawrence.edu. The committee reviews the matter and renders a decision. The committee’s decision is final.

If a resolution to such matters cannot be found through Sarah Lawrence’s procedures, a student may contact Sarah Lawrence College’s home state SARA Portal Entity: the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Before reaching out to NYSED, please consult the guidance provided by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements at:  https://www.nc-sara.org/student-complaints. NYSED’s complaint procedure is available at: http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university

In 2023, Sarah Lawrence College's Department of Campus Safety did not receive any reports of a hate crime.

Review the College's full Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report

Visit the Campus Safety website