Smith vs Vassar
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Smith CollegeNorthampton, MACompass Score: Exceptional · Top 4%ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NYCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 4%
At a glance
- Vassar has the higher graduation rate: 91% against 89% at Smith.
- For families earning up to $30,000, Smith has the lower price after aid: $1,363 a year, against $15,953 at Vassar.
- Smith has the lower average price after aid: $27,579 a year, against $39,343 at Vassar.
Scores
Compass Score
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 4%
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 4%
Academic Excellence
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 2%
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 1%
Value
BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 43%
C+Value: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
The college
Category
Liberal arts colleges
Liberal arts colleges
Location
Northampton, MA
Poughkeepsie, NY
Setting
City
Suburb
Students
2,830
2,456
Sports
NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference
NCAA Division III · Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association
Admission
Admission rate
21%
19%
Average SAT
1500
1494
ACT middle 50%
32–35
33–35
Outcomes
Graduation rate
89%
91%
First-year retention
94%
95%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$64,027
$71,366
Median debt
$17,550
$18,625
Cost
Average price after aid
$27,579
$39,343
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$1,363
$15,953
$30,001–$48,000
$3,737
$14,548
$48,001–$75,000
$6,559
$14,126
$75,001–$110,000
$11,750
$25,773
Over $110,000
$40,477
$56,615
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Economics $88,067
- Engineering (general) $86,262
- Political science $68,916
- Biology $63,133
- Sociology $58,664
- Computing and information science $124,469
- Economics $102,584
- Political science $69,942
- Experimental psychology $65,095
- International relations $63,591
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.