Bard College
#10 Highest-Yield Colleges (Most-Loved)- Graduation Rate
- 70% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $46,543 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $34,649 F
- 102% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 52% B+
- Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 12.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $12.2 over 20 years. Ranked #10 in Highest-Yield Colleges (Most-Loved).
Every $1 spent returns $12.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,555,972.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Every $1 invested returns $12.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Bard College Matters
Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 2,414
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Visual & Performing Arts, Social Sciences, English & Literature
Why students choose Bard College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 52% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1270–1450. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $34,649 a year after grants and scholarships — 102% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $46,543 ten years after enrolling — 14% above the typical college, against $24,254 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.5% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 46% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.79 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Bard College is a great fit for students who are passionate about the arts and humanities. With an enrollment of around 2,400, it maintains a cozy atmosphere where students can dive deep into programs like Visual & Performing Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The acceptance rate of 52% suggests that while it’s selective, it remains accessible to many who are eager to explore their creative and intellectual interests.
When it comes to life after graduation, Bard graduates earn an average of $46,543 within ten years of completing their degree. This number suggests that many graduates find fulfilling careers, even if their paths may be less traditional. Affordability is an important consideration; while the net price after aid is $34,649, which can be a stretch for some, the median debt of $24,254 shows that many students manage to keep their borrowings relatively low.
For those who thrive at Bard, it’s often students who are self-motivated and deeply committed to their fields of study. The financial landscape can be challenging, but with a Pell Grant rate of 17%, there are resources for those who qualify for federal aid. Bard attracts individuals who are ready to engage with their education, making it a supportive community for artistic and academic exploration.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Bard College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Bard College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, Bard College offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 52% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,380. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 52%
- Retention Rate
- 85%
- SAT Average
- 1380
- SAT Range
- 1270–1450
- ACT Range
- 28–32
- Full-Time Faculty
- 74%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,589
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 9:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.74
- First-Gen Students
- 12%
- Applicants
- 6,482
- Admitted
- 2,987
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Bard College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 69% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school more than half of admitted students choose.
- Yield Rate
- 69%
- of admits enroll
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bard College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Bard College is $66,436, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $34,649. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $19,012 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,254 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $66,436
- Out-of-State
- $66,436
- Avg Net Price
- $34,649
- Median Debt
- $24,254
- Pell Grant Rate
- 17%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 32%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $19,012
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $21,038
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $22,139
- Family Income $110K+
- $44,873
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Bard College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Bard College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Bard College earn a median of $46,543, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $31,072
- 8 Years
- $37,534
- 10 Years
- $46,543
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.52x
- Earning > $25K
- 51%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (344)
- 61%
- 100% (344)
- 61%
- 100% (344)
- 61%
- 100% (344)
- 61%
How Bard Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Bard College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Bard College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $34,649/year ($138,596 total). Graduates earn $46,543 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,694,568 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,555,972 (12.2× your investment). The median debt is $24,254, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 70% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $138,596
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,694,568
- Net Return
- $1,555,972
- ROI Multiple
- 12.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $34,649
- Median Debt
- $24,254
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 70%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Bard College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Bard College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.53%, well above the typical college. About 6.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 23.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $117,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.53%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 23.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 6.5%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $160,185
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $2,692,939
- Investment Income
- $-16,590,065
Top Programs
The fields Bard College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Humanities 26% $23,317 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 24% $20,815 early-career
- Social Sciences 22% $28,721 early-career
- English & Literature 13% $23,317 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Bard College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- C-Art Director$105,180 · 5% growthAdaptable 60
- C-Detective$89,930 · 4% growthAdaptable 60
- C-Animator$86,120 · 3% growthAdaptable 60
- CCollege Professor$84,380 · 8% growthResilient 96
- D+Technical Writer$80,050 · 4% growthVulnerable 48
- D+Fashion Designer$79,600 · 1% growthAdaptable 60
- C-Content Strategist$78,000 · 8% growthAdaptable 60
- D+Copywriter$73,150 · 4% growthVulnerable 48
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Bard College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, Bard College offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 52% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,380. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bard College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Bard College is $66,436, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $34,649. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $19,012 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,254 in federal student loans.
Is Bard College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Bard College earn a median of $46,543, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Bard College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Bard College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.53%, well above the typical college. About 6.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 23.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $117,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Bard College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Bard College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 21% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does Bard College offer Early Decision?
No. Bard College does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Bard College?
About 69% of admitted students choose to enroll at Bard College — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Bard College.
- Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · Close peer76% grad $58,295 earn 48% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Mississippi Christian UniversityClinton, MS · Close peer61% grad $47,485 earn 29% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, AL · Close peer56% grad $49,641 earn 49% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Anderson UniversityAnderson, SC · Close peer67% grad $42,101 earn 55% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · Close peer56% grad $49,483 earn 81% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbourne, FL · Close peer64% grad $43,137 earn 58% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Bard College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Bard College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 21% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note