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Bard College

Annandale-On-Hudson, New York · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Rural

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Official website

At a glance

Average net price
$34,649What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
52%
Graduation rate
70%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
2,414
In-state tuition
$66,436Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$66,436
SAT midpoint
Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$46,543Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$34,649

Better than 12% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

70%

Better than 75% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$46,543

Better than 26% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$24,254

Better than 54% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$84,553

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$34,649

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?
Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Bard College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time70%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return85%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$24,254
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$46,543

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Bard College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Biological and Physical Sciences$39,29695
Social Sciences, General$23,302158
Fine and Studio Arts$19,327114
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other$17,23769
MusicNot reported13
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reported2
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesNot reportedNot reported
Biology, GeneralNot reportedNot reported
MathematicsNot reportedNot reported
PhysicsNot reportedNot reported
Psychology, GeneralNot reportedNot reported
Political Science and GovernmentNot reportedNot reported
Computer ScienceNot reportedNot reported
DanceNot reportedNot reported
EconomicsNot reportedNot reported
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity StudiesNot reportedNot reported
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and AnalysisNot reportedNot reported
LiteratureNot reportedNot reported
Accounting and Related ServicesNot reportedNot reported
Engineering, GeneralNot reportedNot reported
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesNot reportedNot reported
Social Sciences, OtherNot reportedNot reported
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftNot reportedNot reported
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesNot reportedNot reported

All 24 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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