Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY · founded 1861 · 2,500 students · liberal arts college · Liberty League

Known for: Vassar College is a prestigious liberal arts college originally founded as a women's college and now coeducational, renowned for its strong arts, humanities, and social sciences programs. It is famous for its open curriculum, historic campus, and progressive, intellectually vibrant community.

Rankings

U.S. News liberal arts: #11
Forbes: #52

Top programmes

Art History
English
Psychology
Biology
Film Studies
Political Science

Notable alumni

Meryl Streep — Academy Award-winning actress
Jane Fonda — Academy Award-winning actress and activist
Catherine L. Albanese — Historian of American religion
Linda Nochlin — Art historian and feminist scholar
Annie Leibovitz — Celebrated portrait photographer
Elizabeth Bishop — Poet and Pulitzer Prize winner
Mark Morris — Choreographer and dancer
Mark Ruffalo — Academy Award-nominated actor

Traditions

Founders Day
Vassar Fest (spring festival)
Senior Week
Fire and Ice Ball
Shakespeare in the Quad

If Vassar College were…

As a food: Artisanal ramp pesto on handmade pasta — Seasonal, sophisticated, a little precious, made with care by people who have Opinions about foraging. It's delicious and thoughtful but definitely not for everyone, and the people who love it will tell you why you're wr
As an athlete: Megan Rapinoe — Unapologetically progressive, articulate, a little punk-rock, and beloved by people who value both excellence and activism. Not the biggest name in raw stats, but culturally influential and unafraid to speak truth to pow
As a person alive today: Lena Dunham — Artsy, introspective, polarizing, and very much a product of a certain progressive liberal arts education that prizes personal narrative and cultural critique. Love her or hate her, she's undeniably a Vassar archetype.
As a historical figure: Mary McCarthy — Brilliant, acerbic novelist and critic who embodied mid-century intellectual feminism—exactly the kind of sharp-minded, culturally literate woman Vassar was designed to produce when it dared to educate women at men's lev
As a movie or TV show: The Gilmore Girls — Fast-talking, hyper-literate, reference-dense, and set in a bubble where everyone reads constantly and has strong opinions about everything. Rory Gilmore is basically every Vassar student's self-image, for better or wors
As a US president: Barack Obama — Intellectual, eloquent, progressive but pragmatic, with an emphasis on thoughtful discourse and cultural sophistication. Appeals to people who value ideas and believe education can change the world, even if the results a
As a city: Portland, Oregon — Progressive, artsy, quirky, a little self-satisfied about its values, and home to people who care deeply about sustainability, social justice, and craft culture. Beautiful setting, strong community, but sometimes feels l
As an element: Silver — Precious but not the flashiest, highly conductive (of ideas), tarnishes beautifully over time, and historically associated with art and photography. Valuable and refined, but always slightly in gold's shadow—much like Va
As a car: 1987 Volvo 240 Wagon with Oberlin stickers — Quirky, artsy, and unapologetically intellectual, this Poughkeepsie liberal arts gem attracts creative nonconformists who value substance over flash. The car equivalent of a vintage thrift find that's actually cooler tha

Campus life

Vassar's campus life is creative, progressive, and socially engaged, with a strong focus on arts and intellectual exploration. Social life includes numerous student-run events, performances, and parties. The campus is known for its inclusive and activist spirit.