Bard College
Annandale on Hudson, NY · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Bard College admitted 52.1% of applicants university-wide (3,952 of 7,583).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 52.1% | 3,952 | 7,583 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 56.1% | 32 | 57 |
| Men | 43.3% | 1,253 | 2,891 |
| Women | 57.5% | 2,686 | 4,673 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 56.1%, vs 52.1% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 3,952 admitted students, 505 enrolled (12.8% yield).
Bard College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1270–1450
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 28–32
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Bard College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $85,052/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $62,790 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $22,262 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $85,052/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $19,012 |
| $30k–48k | $21,038 |
| $48k–75k | $22,139 |
| $75k–110k | $28,185 |
| Over $110k | $44,873 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Bard Excellence Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Bard College Conservatory of Music Scholarship — Varies, up to full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Bard College International Financial Aid — Varies, up to full cost of attendance (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Full Ride)
- Bard Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.
- Presidential Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Bard Excellence Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Bard College Conservatory of Music Scholarship — Varies, up to full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Bard College International Financial Aid — Varies, up to full cost of attendance (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Full Ride)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Bard College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Common Application or Coalition with Scoir
- High School Transcript
- Teacher Recommendation (English or humanities)
- Teacher Recommendation (math or science)
- Additional Recommendation (counselor or other advisor)
- School Report (including school profile)
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
- Artistic Portfolio or Supplemental Materials (optional)
International applicants
- Common Application or Coalition with Scoir
- High School Transcript
- Teacher Recommendation (English or humanities)
- Teacher Recommendation (math or science)
- Additional Recommendation (counselor or other advisor)
- School Report (including school profile)
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
- Artistic Portfolio or Supplemental Materials (optional)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Bard College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $46,543
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 67.6%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 89%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $24,254
- At graduation
Bard College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #70
- WSJ: #557
- Forbes: #372
- Niche: #679
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Bard College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Interdisciplinary studies (15%), Visual & performing arts (0%), Social sciences (0%).
Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 85% of class sections have under 20 students.
Bard College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.