More selective than 81% of New York colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $84,553. College Scorecard.
Higher than 61% of New York colleges we cover and 74% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 21% of New York colleges we cover and 30% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bard College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,628 applicants, Bard College admitted 3,466 and 402 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1270–1450 on the SAT or 28–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bard College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: New York residents may qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): up to $5,665 a year toward tuition at eligible New York colleges, for dependent students with New York net taxable family income up to $125,000. Not included in the prices above. New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
What Bard College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bard College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New York. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,012 | $80,421 | 6.8 years |
| $30–48k | $21,038 | $88,991 | 7.5 years |
| $48–75k | $22,139 | $93,648 | 7.9 years |
| $75–110k | $28,185 | $119,223 | 10.0 years |
| $110k+ | $44,873 | $189,813 | 15.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($46,543) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,910 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Bard College majors, earnings & careers
Bard College offers 24 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Business & Finance · 2
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Bard College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $64,518 | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature / Letters, Other | $50,402 | $26,861 |
| Social Sciences | $48,751 | $24,747 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $38,298 | — |
| Studio Art | $34,667 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 24 majors
- Accounting—
- Biological and Physical Sciences$64,518
- Biology—
- Computer Science—
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Engineering—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other$50,402
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$38,298
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Social Sciences$48,751
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Studio Art$34,667
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Kiryas Joel
Overall prices in the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,131. Housing costs 16% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 86 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Dutchess County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Dutchess County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bard College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in New York by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bard College | 52% | $34,649 | 68% | $46,543 | This school |
| St Lawrence University | 54% | $28,651 | 79% | $67,258 | |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | — | $4,156 | 70% | $31,853 | |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 53% | $29,882 | 68% | $131,426 | |
| United Talmudical Seminary | — | $6,640 | 58% | $25,113 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bard College would cost you $5,998 more per year than St Lawrence University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Bard College, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,560).
- St Lawrence University gives aided families $3,445 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New York resident | Bard College | St Lawrence University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $66,436 | $65,900 | +$536 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $750 | +$450 |
| Housing & meals | $18,040 | $16,480 | +$1,560 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $900 | +$1,100 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,123 | −$2,030 | −$1,093 |
| Sticker price | $84,553 | $82,000 | +$2,553 |
| Average grants | −$49,904 | −$53,349 | +$3,445 |
| You pay | $34,649 | $28,651 | +$5,998 |
“+” means Bard College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Bard College
What is the Bard College acceptance rate?
Bard College accepts 52% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,466 of 6,628 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1270–1450 on the SAT or 28–32 on the ACT.
How much does Bard College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $84,553 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $34,649 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,012 and families earning $110k+ pay $44,873.
How much do Bard College graduates earn?
Former Bard College students earn a median $46,543 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bard College graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a Bard College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bard College costs about $93,648 after grants ($22,139 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,543 ten years after starting, $11,910 more than high school graduates in New York ($34,633), so the cost is repaid in 7.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bard College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bard-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).