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Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Get to know Vassar College

School Profile

Suburban campus setting

2,500 undergraduate students

681 first-year students

14% first-generation students

Students hail from 47 U.S. states, 2 territories, and 54 countries

Academics

50 majors, 66 correlates (minors)

Student-to-faculty ratio 7:1

Average class size is 19

Introduction to Vassar College

Vassar was built to advance the notion of what a liberal arts college can be. They empower students to explore widely, delve deeply, and investigate every new idea with an open mind. Through their open curriculum, you’ll find the freedom and flexibility to embrace the subjects you’re most passionate about and let them shape the course of your education. There are no general education requirements, so you can take the courses that most interest you and know your classmates have chosen them as well.

Fostering real connections is key to creating an environment of dialogue and understanding, and that’s no different when it comes to student-faculty interaction. Since there are no teaching assistants or graduate student instructors at Vassar, you will get to know your professors and they will get to know you. You’ll have access to hands-on, mentored research and internship opportunities that will enable you to learn, lead, and improve the world around you. 90% of Vassar students complete an internship. Through Vassar’s Community-Engaged Learning program, you can gain experience in a non-profit organization, government agency, or business while receiving course credit.

Under the Vassar-Dartmouth Dual-Degree Program in Engineering, Vassar students spend their junior year at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering. They return to Vassar for their senior year to finish their bachelor of arts (BA) degree requirements, and then complete a fifth year at Dartmouth to obtain the second degree, a bachelor of engineering (BE).

The Vassar/Columbia BA/MPH dual-degree program allows students to earn a BA from Vassar and continue on to an accelerated Masters program in Public Health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Students spend the fall semester of their senior year at Mailman, return to Vassar for the spring semester, then enter the Masters program which includes a practicum, a year of coursework, and thesis work.

The Edinburgh-Vassar Scholars Program provides a pathway for Vassar students to acquire a Masters (MSc) in Planetary Health from the University of Edinburgh. Students work on a proposal at Vassar during the fall of their junior year and complete an 8–10-week summer research project at Edinburgh before returning to Vassar to complete their senior year. Scholars will then matriculate as MSc students at Edinburgh the following fall and complete the MSc over the following year.

The Vassar-SUNY New Paltz MBA Program is a new program for students who wish to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree, which will prepare graduates with the competencies needed for advanced leadership positions. Participants would start in late August following graduation and finish by no later than early August the following year.

A proud QuestBridge partner since 2007, Vassar will help shape the path of your life; and along that journey, there’s no need to lose sight of who you are. Vassar aims to create a space that can be inclusive of all perspectives and backgrounds through their philosophy of engaged pluralism. Through engaged pluralism, Vassar strives to give every voice a platform because it's those differences that make their community strong.

The First-generation, Low Income (FLI) Program is a comprehensive, four-year program for first-generation, and low-income students. We focus on building community and creating a sense of belonging amongst these populations. FLI students can make use of the pre-orientation for incoming students the week before New Student Orientation, the FLI living room and textbook library, and a Mentorship Program that intentionally pairs students with Vassar employees who will provide  students with the opportunity to realize both professional and personal goals. The Center for Career Education and Office of Fellowships offers advising to students competing for national fellowships that fund opportunities abroad, independent research, and graduate school.

Through the Ford Scholars Program, the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI), and Creative Arts Across Disciplines Program students can perform research and execute action plans under the guidance of faculty. 

Hear from a Scholar

Explore Vassar College through photos

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