St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
St. Lawrence University Featured Rankings
About St. Lawrence University
According to Wikipedia, St. Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college in the village of Canton in St. Lawrence County, New York. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. Though St. Lawrence today is non-denominational, it was founded in 1856 by leaders of the Universalist Church, who were seeking to establish a seminary west of New England and were enthusiastically courted by the citizens of Canton. The church almost did not place the school in Canton, however, as they felt students might be exposed to too much "excitement" within the village limits in 1856. The denomination, which has since merged with the Unitarian faith, was part of the liberal wing of Protestantism, championing such ideas as critical thinking and sex equality — attributes that surfaced in the new Theological School of St. Lawrence University, which was progressive in its teaching philosophy and coeducational from the beginning.
St. Lawrence University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,367 | 54% | 91% | 79% | 1337 | 31 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does St. Lawrence University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $67,890 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,226 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,224 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,762 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,162 |
| 110K+ | $42,999 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do St. Lawrence University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former St. Lawrence University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $74,500 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
St. Lawrence University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,186 | 2,151 | 35 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is St. Lawrence University?
St. Lawrence University is located at 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617.
How Safe is St. Lawrence University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, St. Lawrence University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, St. Lawrence University has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Canton has a violent crime rate of 0.01% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.47%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is St. Lawrence University Known For?
St. Lawrence University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Communications
- Literature
- Sociology
- Biology
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- History
- Mathematics
- Business
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Medical
St. Lawrence University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much St. Lawrence University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
St. Lawrence University ranks #201 in the U.S. and #967 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #274 in the U.S. and #1366 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #328 in the U.S. and #1196 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #335 in the U.S. and #1012 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #351 in the U.S. and #1239 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #391 in the U.S. and #1622 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #436 in the U.S. and #1885 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #445 in the U.S. and #1845 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #466 in the U.S. and #1910 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #471 in the U.S. and #1355 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #474 in the U.S. and #1949 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #496 in the U.S. and #1781 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #508 in the U.S. and #1552 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #533 in the U.S. and #1785 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #541 in the U.S. and #1396 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #602 in the U.S. and #2638 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #637 in the U.S. and #2843 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #652 in the U.S. and #2939 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesSt. Lawrence University ranks #718 in the U.S. and #2546 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWho Are St. Lawrence University's Most Influential Alumni?
St. Lawrence University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Economics, and Literature. Here are some of St. Lawrence University's most famous alumni:
- Lorrie Moore
- An American writer.
- F. King Alexander
- An American university administrator and, as of 17 April 2013, President of California State University, Long Beach.
- Susan Collins
- An American politician .
- Viggo Mortensen
- An American actor.
- Mike Keenan
- A Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager.
- Ann Hamilton
- A Visual artist.
- Karen Wetterhahn
- An American chemist.
- Peter B. de Menocal
- An American oceanographer and paleoclimatologist.
- Joel Rosenbaum
- A Professor of cell biology at Yale University.
- Tom Chiarella
- An American academic.
- Kirk Douglas
- An American stage and film actor .
- Jacques Martin
- A Canadian ice hockey coach.
