Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York · Private Nonprofit · 52.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 33/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Bard College earns a CampusROI score of 33 (Below Benchmark tier). Sticker tuition is a steep $66,436 with a net price of $34,649 - a 48% institutional discount. Average earnings six years after entry are just $31,000, climbing to a median $46,543 at ten years. These wage figures reflect Bard's intellectual mission rather than its career-placement record: the student body skews toward arts, humanities, and social-sciences fields that face wage compression early in careers. Completion (67.6%, subscore 74) and three-year repayment (83.9%, subscore 83) are both strong signals - Bard graduates do finish and do stay current on debt. But the earnings premium subscore of 16 (raw 0.083) and 24.1-year payback period (subscore 22) reveal the structural ROI problem: graduates earn only modestly more than baseline. Median debt of $24,254 against $31,000 in early earnings produces a 0.782 debt-to-earnings ratio. Bard enrolls 2,414 students with a low 16.7% Pell rate - a wealthy student body that helps explain the strong repayment performance despite weak wages.
How Bard College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score33/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Bard College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $66,436/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $66,436/yr |
| Average net price | $34,649/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $138,596 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,543 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,254 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $257 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,414 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $66,436/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $34,649/year, or roughly $138,596 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $19,012/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,873/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,254, which works out to about $257 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,000) and comes to 0.78, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,012 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,038 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,139 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,185 |
| $110,001+ | $44,873 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $19,012 per year, totaling about $76,048 over four years. Bard's institutional aid commitment to low-income students is meaningful (the 71% discount from sticker for this bracket is substantial). With $31,000 in early-career earnings, the math is tight but workable for committed students who plan graduate-school continuation.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-75,000) pay $22,139 per year, about $88,556 over four years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $44,873 per year - $179,492 over four years. At this price point, full-pay families are essentially paying for the cultural and intellectual experience rather than career ROI. The decision to attend Bard becomes a values-based one rather than a financial one; full-pay families should be comfortable absorbing the cost without expecting financial return.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Bard College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences, General | $48,751 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $34,667 | F |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $64,518 | C |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | $50,402 | F |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $38,298 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Social Sciences, General
Social Sciences is Bard's largest reported program with 158 graduates per year. Year-one earnings of just $23,302 climb to $48,751 by year four - a strong 109% wage growth signaling graduate-school continuation or career launch into entry-level professional roles. Median debt of $24,747 produces a 1.062 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade reflecting the early-career snapshot. Many graduates feed into journalism, advocacy, or graduate study.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts produces 114 graduates per year, with year-one earnings of $19,327 and four-year earnings of $34,667. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 1.397 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. The arts-economy wage compression is real and persistent; Bard's reputation in studio arts is strong, but the financial outcomes for bachelor's-level arts graduates are structurally difficult regardless of institutional prestige.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies produces 95 graduates per year with year-one earnings of $39,296 climbing to $64,518 at year four - the strongest wage trajectory in Bard's reported data. Median debt of $27,000 yields a 0.687 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. The self-designed-major framework typical of Bard produces graduates whose career outcomes vary widely, but the median four-year figure suggests successful placement into varied professional roles.
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
English/Letters produces 69 graduates per year with year-one earnings of just $17,237 and four-year earnings of $50,402 - a striking 192% wage growth reflecting either graduate-school completion (MFA, PhD) or career launch into editorial/media roles. Median debt of $26,861 produces a 1.558 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade at the early-career snapshot. Long-term outcomes are likely much better than the early data suggests.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 79.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 83.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 87.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Bard College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 52.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 620-700 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 650-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-32 |
| Enrollment | 2,414 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 16.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,589 |
Bard admits 52.1% of applicants. SAT 25-75 mid-ranges are 620-700 math and 650-750 reading, with ACT 25-75 of 28-32. The 67.6% completion rate signals that academically prepared students do finish, but the school's elective and self-designed-major culture creates path variability that doesn't always lead to high-wage outcomes. Selectivity here is screening for academic preparation, not for career-track focus.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Bard's selective humanities-heavy programs produce intellectually strong graduates who pay an early-career wage penalty.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bard College (this school) | 33 | $34,649 | $46,543 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| William Carey University | 34 | $14,258 | $43,087 |
| Tuskegee University | 26 | $35,013 | $49,641 |
| Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies | 24 | $20,473 | $47,327 |
Who Thrives Here
Bard fits academically curious students drawn to a progressive liberal-arts experience in the Hudson Valley at mid-sized scale (2,414 students). The 16.7% Pell rate confirms the student body is predominantly wealthier. Strong-fit students are those committed to humanities, arts, or social-sciences exploration who plan to attend graduate school, where the ten-year earnings figure ($46,543) captures the mix of bachelor's-only and post-graduate trajectories. The school's reputation in arts and political theory drives placement into NYC media, academia, and creative-economy roles. Students seeking immediate-wage outcomes from a bachelor's degree should weigh the program mix carefully.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Bard College scores 33/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $34,649 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,543 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,254 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Bard College: Common Questions
Is Bard College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Bard College scores 33/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $34,649 a year after aid against $46,543 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Bard College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $34,649 a year, or roughly $138,596 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Bard College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,543 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,743 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Bard College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 24.1 years for Bard College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Bard College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,254, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Bard College?
The six-year graduation rate is 67.6%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.