Barnard College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Barnard College is a private institution located in New York, New York and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Barnard College admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 10%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1510 and an ACT composite around 33. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,800 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for Barnard College?

Most admitted students at Barnard College present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.

What does Barnard College weight in admissions?

Barnard College reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean

How Barnard College reads an application: what each weighting means for your child, plus waitlist, transfer and early-round odds

SAT and ACT scores Barnard College typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 740–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 740. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 32–34. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does Barnard College actually cost?

Published tuition is $69,888 for in-state students and $69,888 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $21,714 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $28,800 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for Barnard College

Will my child graduate from Barnard College?

These predict outcomes at Barnard College better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at Barnard College

The most popular undergraduate programs at Barnard College, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Economics, Research and Experimental Psychology and Political Science and Government. Across all programs, Barnard College confers roughly 466 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Economics program report a median income of about $136,964 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is Barnard College safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Barnard College disclosed 4 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.2 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 1 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at Barnard College?

About 75% of undergraduates at Barnard College live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 8% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in New York parents ask about

• Marist College
  57% acceptance
• Fashion Institute of Technology
  60% acceptance
• Pratt Institute-Main
  73% acceptance
• Parsons School of Design at The New School
  63% acceptance
• The Juilliard School
  9% acceptance
• Skidmore College
  21% acceptance
• Union College
  44% acceptance
• Hobart William Smith Colleges
  64% acceptance

Common questions parents ask about Barnard College