Barnard: the complete school report for parents

What does Barnard actually weigh in admissions?

Barnard rates 5 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, recommendations, personal qualities. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Barnard's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Barnard admitted 22.9% of 1,142 transfer applicants, against 10.1% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 33.1% of ED applicants were admitted against 10.1% overall, a gap of 23 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What will Barnard actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $28,800 a year at Barnard after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $73,120. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average.

33% of Barnard graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $26,251 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $191 a month in repayment. Barnard’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Barnard pay off?

Graduates earn a median $80,516 ten years after entering, and $60,411 at six years. 90% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 87% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$136,964 to $66,870, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Barnard:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

97% of first-years return for a second year. 81% graduate within four years and 92% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 92.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 91.0% of everyone else, a gap of -1.0 points.

How big are the classes?

70% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 2% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, and 100% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

What is life at Barnard like?

3,223 undergraduates, 67% of first-years from out of state. 97% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 75% across all undergraduates. 16% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $75,897.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• Early Decision is worth 23 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 150 of 1,644 who waited were admitted, about 9%.
• If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
• Its highest-earning major returns $136,964 five years out against $66,870 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Barnard

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