Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at Sarah Lawrence

The average acceptance rate at Sarah Lawrence over the past 10 years is 55.05%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 61.73%. Compared to the previous year, it became slightly easier to gain admission to Sarah Lawrence in 2025.

The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 19.01%, and the 2025 yield is 14.63%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 37.74% from 2015 to 2025.

The number of Sarah Lawrence applicants decreased by 4.19% (202 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 64.07% overall.

Trends by Subject

Key Takeaways: Sarah Lawrence Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 61.73%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that Sarah Lawrence is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.

Yield Rate & Enrollment Patterns

The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 14.63%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Sarah Lawrence. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.

Application Volume & Admission Trends

For the 2025 admission cycle, Sarah Lawrence received approximately 4,617 applications, admitted 2,850 students, and enrolled 417 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Sarah Lawrence is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.

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Acceptance Rate Changes

Sarah Lawrence 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Sarah Lawrence over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 55.05%, while the most recent rate stands at 61.73%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.

For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 61.73%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 57.82% and for women is 54.36%.

The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Sarah Lawrence have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 53.38% 51.97% 53.81%
2016-17 51.79%
-1.58%
56.24%
4.27%
50.37%
-3.44%
2017-18 53.19%
1.40%
62.70%
6.46%
50.64%
0.27%
2018-19 55.85%
2.66%
56.32%
-6.39%
55.73%
5.09%
2019-20 53.10%
-2.75%
53.32%
-3.00%
53.04%
-2.69%
2020-21 54.63%
1.53%
53.21%
-0.11%
55.01%
1.97%
2021-22 58.00%
3.37%
66.95%
13.75%
56.01%
1.00%
2022-23 49.88%
-8.11%
52.74%
-14.21%
49.26%
-6.75%
2023-24 58.93%
9.05%
63.39%
10.65%
57.99%
8.73%
2024-25 61.73%
2.80%
61.35%
-2.04%
61.77%
3.78%
Average 55.05% 57.82% 54.36%
Sarah Lawrence College Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

Sarah Lawrence has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 23.50% in 2015 to 14.63% in 2025, representing a 37.74% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 19.01%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Sarah Lawrence from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 37.74% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 23.50% 27.99% 22.17%
2016-17 23.73%
0.22%
28.16%
0.17%
22.14%
-0.04%
2017-18 21.34%
-2.39%
24.62%
-3.54%
20.25%
-1.89%
2018-19 22.89%
1.55%
27.03%
2.41%
21.86%
1.61%
2019-20 18.49%
-4.39%
23.47%
-3.55%
17.27%
-4.59%
2020-21 19.18%
0.69%
20.00%
-3.47%
18.97%
1.70%
2021-22 17.00%
-2.18%
17.00%
-3.00%
16.99%
-1.98%
2022-23 14.84%
-2.16%
13.24%
-3.76%
15.22%
-1.77%
2023-24 14.47%
-0.37%
12.90%
-0.34%
14.84%
-0.38%
2024-25 14.63%
0.16%
16.45%
3.55%
14.16%
-0.68%
Average 19.01% 21.09% 18.39%
Sarah Lawrence College enrollment rate trends chart showing historical yield changes from 2015 to 2025

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 3,947, the average number of admitted is 2,181, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 398.

The number of Sarah Lawrence applicants decreased by 4.19% (202 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 64.07% overall.

The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Sarah Lawrence College from 2015 to 2025.

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 2,814 1,502 353
2016-17 3,068
9.03%
1,589
5.79%
377
6.80%
2017-18 3,463
12.87%
1,842
15.92%
393
4.24%
2018-19 3,325
-3.98%
1,857
0.81%
425
8.14%
2019-20 4,053
21.89%
2,152
15.89%
398
-6.35%
2020-21 3,674
-9.35%
2,007
-6.74%
385
-3.27%
2021-22 4,452
21.18%
2,582
28.65%
439
14.03%
2022-23 5,186
16.49%
2,587
0.19%
384
-12.53%
2023-24 4,819
-7.08%
2,840
9.78%
411
7.03%
2024-25 4,617
-4.19%
2,850
0.35%
417
1.46%
Average 3,947 2,181 398
Sarah Lawrence College - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

The following table compares Sarah Lawrence College' acceptance rate to similar schools.

20242025Change %
Sarah Lawrence College58.93%61.73% 4.75%
New York University9.23%9.41% -1.91%
Columbia University in the City of New York3.99%4.23% -5.67%
Cornell University8.76%8.16% 7.35%
Syracuse University45.92%41.69% 10.15%
St. John's University-New York83.43%79.67% 4.72%

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