- Acceptance rate: 52% for fall 2024
- SAT, middle 50%: 650–750 reading and writing, 620–700 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 28–32 composite
- Average net price: $25,218 a year (2022–23)
On this page · 7 sections
How does your GPA compare?
Don't know your GPA? Calculate your GPA
Where you standEnter your GPA
Add a test score to compare it with what Bard College reported: an acceptance rate of 52% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 28–32.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Bard College reviews each application.
Bard College GPA requirements
Bard College requires a high school GPA from first-year applicants, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Federal data doesn't include GPA averages, and Bard College hasn't published one we could verify, so this page doesn't list an average GPA.
Bard College acceptance rate
Bard College admitted 3,952 of 7,583 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 52%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Bard College is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, with 2,438 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Bard College in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 650 | 710 | 750 |
| SAT Math | 620 | 670 | 700 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| ACT English | 30 | 33 | 35 |
| ACT Math | 23 | 27 | 29 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1380 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Bard College looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Required |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Required |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Considered if submitted |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Considered if submitted |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Not considered |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Not considered |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Bard College awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It doesn't award credit for life experience.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $25,218 a year at Bard College in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bard College hard to get into?
It's moderately accessible: more than half of applicants got in. Bard College admitted 52% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Can a 3.0 GPA get you into Bard College?
GPA alone can't tell you here. Bard College admitted 52% of first-year applicants for fall 2024. It requires a high school GPA but hasn't published an average we could verify, so there's no admitted-student GPA to compare a 3.0 against. Your transcript and test scores are the clearer guide.
What are Bard College's SAT and ACT score ranges?
The middle 50% of Bard College's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 650–750 in reading and writing and 620–700 in math; ACT composite 28–32, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
Do you need SAT or ACT scores to apply to Bard College?
Check Bard College's admissions website for the current rule: testing policies change from year to year. Bard College was test optional: it considered SAT or ACT scores if you sent them, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education (fall 2024). Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 13% sent SAT scores and 9% sent ACT scores.
How many applicants get into Bard College?
Bard College's acceptance rate was 52% for fall 2024: it admitted 3,952 of 7,583 first-year applicants, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
What GPA do you need to get into Bard College?
Bard College requires a high school GPA from first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. It hasn't published an average GPA we could verify, so we don't list one.
How much does GPA matter at Bard College?
A lot: Bard College requires high school GPA, high school record, recommendations and essay or personal statement. It considers high school class rank, test scores, demonstration of competencies and work experience if you send them. It doesn't consider college preparatory program, other tests and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Does Bard College accept AP credit?
Yes. Bard College awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
Does Bard College consider legacy status?
No. Bard College doesn't consider whether a parent or other relative attended, it said in its report to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
What is the average net price at Bard College?
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $25,218 a year at Bard College in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Before you apply, check Bard College's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Bard CollegeU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
Wrong result or missing a feature? Send feedback
Similar colleges in New York
With a similar acceptance rate and size.
- St Lawrence UniversityAccessible · 54% admitted
- Yeshiva UniversityAccessible · 56% admitted
- Russell Sage CollegeAccessible · 53% admitted
- Union CollegeSelective · 44% admitted
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryAccessible · 63% admitted
- Five Towns CollegeAccessible · 54% admitted
See all colleges in New York →