Pure-phase 2at% Nd:YAG powder was synthesized by alcohol-water co-precipitation method. 2at% Nd:YAG ceramics were sintered at 1780 °C for 10 h under vacuum using the powder. Sintering ability of the powder was studied by comparing the results of alcohol-water solvent with those of distilled water solvent. The effects of different volume ratios of alcohol to water (R) on transparent ceramics have been also studied. Transparent ceramics having a transmittance of 40% in the visible wavelength have been sintered without sintering additive using the powder (R=0.8), which is much better than ceramics (16%) prepared using the powder derived from distilled water solvent under the same sintering conditions. In addition, the different R does not have much influence on the transmittance of ceramics in the present work. Compared with the results of distilled water solvent, the powders, using alcohol-water mixtures with different R as solvent, are more beneficial to the sintering of high transparent ceramics.