New York, NY · Private · 3,264 undergraduates · urban
Barnard College
Extremely selective
Barnard is a women’s college with its own curriculum and residential identity inside Columbia’s wider academic network. The value is the combination, not a vague claim of access to New York or Columbia.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in academic standing, and solid in career outcomes.- Admission
- 8% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 93.2%
11,803 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$80,516 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Barnard apart
Barnard Foundations
Foundations combines liberal-arts requirements with interdisciplinary modes of thinking. After the first year, Barnard students may register for many Columbia courses.
A distinct college inside Columbia
First-years live in the Quad; upper-level housing includes corridor and suite-style choices, with a limited Barnard–Columbia exchange.
A residential Morningside Heights base
Barnard offers a compact Morningside Heights home base with structured academic access to Columbia and New York.
The Barnard structure
A defined center with controlled reach
Barnard preserves its own academic and residential identity while opening a larger university network.
Begin at Barnard
The first year establishes Barnard’s own classroom and residential center.
Use Columbia deliberately
Upper-level course access broadens the academic menu.
Use New York with a home base
The location adds opportunity without making the college feel commuter-oriented.
Can I get in?
8% admitted
The strongest case explains why a distinct women’s-college education and carefully structured Columbia access fit the applicant.
Recent applicant pool
11,803About 8 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 33% submitted an SAT, and 17% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Barnard, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Barnard weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Foundations combines liberal-arts requirements with interdisciplinary modes of thinking. After the first year, Barnard students may register for many Columbia courses.
Make the institutional fit specific
The strongest case explains why a distinct women’s-college education and carefully structured Columbia access fit the applicant.
Use the application route carefully
Applicants may use the Common Application or QuestBridge. Barnard offers Early Decision and Regular Decision.
Give commitments a clear through-line
Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Applicants may use the Common Application or QuestBridge. Barnard offers Early Decision and Regular Decision.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Barnard
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read the outcomes panel alongside barnard offers a compact morningside heights home base with structured academic access to columbia and new york. Completion, borrowing, and field mix matter more than one university-wide earnings figure.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Research and Experimental Psychology
Political Science and Government
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
English Language and Literature, General
What is campus life like?
Barnard beyond the classroom
Barnard offers a compact Morningside Heights home base with structured academic access to Columbia and New York.
Barnard Foundations
Foundations combines liberal-arts requirements with interdisciplinary modes of thinking. After the first year, Barnard students may register for many Columbia courses.
The residential structure matters
First-years live in the Quad; upper-level housing includes corridor and suite-style choices, with a limited Barnard–Columbia exchange.
Dining follows the residential map
Campus dining is part of the daily social pattern; compare the meal-plan structure and nearby options against the routine you expect.
A distinct college inside Columbia
Barnard offers a compact Morningside Heights home base with structured academic access to Columbia and New York.
Use the institution beyond class
Student organizations, faculty programs, research, service, and campus events are most useful when they reinforce a clear academic or personal direction.
A residential Morningside Heights base
The strongest social fit comes from understanding how housing, traditions, organizations, and the surrounding setting shape an ordinary week.