About Vassar
Located in the scenic Hudson Valley, Vassar College is a highly selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education, for its long history of curricular innovation, and for the beauty of its campus.
Vassar History
Vassar College was founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, a self-educated businessman and philanthropist who championed the cause of women's education. A little more than a hundred years after its founding, the college was the first of the Seven Sisters colleges to open its doors to men, becoming fully coeducational in 1969.
Mission Statement
The primary mission of Vassar College, to furnish "the means of a thorough, well-proportioned, and liberal education," was articulated in the first annual catalogue and has remained constant throughout its history.
Vassar Facts »
1,000 picturesque acres; 260 faculty members, virtually all holding the doctorate or its equivalent; 2,400 top-ranking students from every state in the United States and 45 foreign countries; 18 interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs, 27 departments, 51 majors, and over 1,000 courses.