by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Vassar College, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
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Published attendance costs at Vassar College stands at about $83,573.00 a year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $71,030.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,543.00 |
| Total cost | $83,573.00 |
| That is 155% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,573.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$48,076.00 |
| Net price | $35,497.00 |
| That is 8% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,573.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$71,466.00 |
| Net price | $12,107.00 |
| That is 63% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 4.2% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $12,610.00 | $36,972.00 | $87,045.00 |
| Senior year | $14,248.00 | $41,774.00 | $98,351.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $53,671.00 | $157,361.00 | $370,485.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,447.00 | $59,949.00 | $141,141.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $618.00 | $1,811.00 | $4,264.00 |
| Total amount paid | $74,118.00 | $217,309.00 | $511,626.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $12,610.00 | $36,972.00 | $87,045.00 |
| Senior year | $13,134.00 | $38,508.00 | $90,661.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $25,744.00 | $75,479.00 | $177,706.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,807.00 | $28,755.00 | $67,700.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $296.00 | $869.00 | $2,045.00 |
| Total amount paid | $35,551.00 | $104,234.00 | $245,406.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net-price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $39,343.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $38,182.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $15,964.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $19,653.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $25,779.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $30,066.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $54,072.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Vassar College Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the financial aid breakdown.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of Vassar College is $17,500.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,250.00 |
| 25th | $7,450.00 |
| Median (50th) | $17,500.00 |
| 75th | $20,250.00 |
| 90th | $24,350.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,851.00 |
| Middle income | $15,597.00 |
| High income | $19,000.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,500.00 |
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Vassar College is $-6,469.00.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Vassar College is Low (<5%).
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at Vassar College amount to $54,690,066.00 distributed across 4,542 borrowers.
Veterans and current servicemembers may be eligible for major federal education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 28 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $15,747.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veteran aid breakdown.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Vassar College, keep these questions in mind:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.