About

About Bard College

liberal arts collegearts and humanities focussmall class sizestest optional admissions

Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, known for its liberal arts college, arts and humanities focus, and small class sizes. With an acceptance rate of 46%, Bard College is moderately selective, typically enrolling around 448 students each year. Bard College is test optional; submitting a strong score can strengthen an application, though it is not required for consideration. Bard College offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $51,426 per year; the sticker price of $77,628 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

Bard College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

moderately selective

46%
Overall Accept Rate

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Bard College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
Bard's application includes the Language and Thinking Program essay, which asks you to engage seriously with a text or idea. Treat it as an academic exercise, not a personal statement, and show that you can think rigorously and independently on the page.
Essay Strategy
Bard values students who have genuine intellectual obsessions, so name a specific subject, question, or field you are deeply curious about and explain how you have pursued it beyond the classroom, whether through reading, creating, or debating ideas with others.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Bard College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$78k/yr$19.0k
30k-48k~$78k/yr$21.0k
48k-75k~$78k/yr$22.1k
75k-110k~$78k/yr$28.2k
110k+~$78k/yr$44.9k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

73%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$31k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
9:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
2,290
Undergrad Enrollment
Bard College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch