10-yr median earnings
$80,516
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · New York, New York
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private nonprofit institution in New York, New York. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $80,516
- 10-yr median earnings
- 8.8%
- Acceptance rate
- $28,800
- Avg net price / yr
- 93.0%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Barnard College pairs top-5% former-student earnings with a highly selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 4%
- former-student earnings, US
- 8.8%
- acceptance rate
- 93.0%
- 150%-time completion
- +33%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Barnard College profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B
College Value Score
72/100
Barnard College
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$80,516
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$28,800
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
93.0%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
91.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
96.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$28,800
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
93.0%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 93.0%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Barnard College vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Barnard College ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Barnard College: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$80,516 Top 4% higher than 96% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Barnard College | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $80,516 | #181 of 5103 | 96th |
| Average net price | $28,800 | #4367 of 5020 | 13th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 93.0% | #126 of 4858 | 97th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,264 | #1019 of 5462 | 81st |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
3,264
Undergraduate enrollment
8.8%
Acceptance rate
1,520
SAT average
93.0%
150%-time completion
$80,516
10-yr median earnings
96.6%
First-year retention
How Barnard College ranks in New York
State rank among 299 reporting New York colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Barnard College | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $80,516 | #30 of 299 | 90th |
| Average net price | $28,800 | #260 of 328 | 21st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 93.0% | #19 of 322 | 94th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,264 | #69 of 367 | 81st |
Highest former-student earnings in New York
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | $131,426 | $29,882 |
| 2 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing | $111,027 | $47,181 |
| 3 | SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University | $109,601 | - |
| 4 | Center for Allied Health Education | $107,249 | $48,150 |
| 5 | Miami Ad School-New York | $106,192 | - |
| 6 | St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens | $104,403 | $26,315 |
| 7 | Cornell University | $104,043 | $28,690 |
| 8 | Weill Medical College of Cornell University | $104,043 | - |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $102,491 | $21,590 |
| 10 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $102,051 | $36,228 |
| 11 | Cochran School of Nursing | $99,503 | - |
| 12 | Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing | $96,980 | - |
| 30 | Barnard CollegeThis school | $80,516 | $28,800 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 8.8% |
| SAT Average | 1,520 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 740 – 790 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 730 – 770 |
| ACT Average | 33 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 32 – 34 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Barnard College
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $11,600
$0 – $30k
$11,600 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $15,374
$30k – $48k
$15,374 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k $19,094
$48k – $75k
$19,094 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$51,378 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Barnard College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $69,888 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $69,888 |
| Average Net Price | $28,800 |
15.9%
Pell Grant Rate
25.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,000
Median Debt
$191/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Barnard College rose +48.2% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $26,487 in 2013 to $39,253 in 2023, a rise of $12,766 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $26,4872023 · $39,253
Over the same years, enrollment went +30.1% (2,474 → 3,219 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
15.6%
First Generation
Outcomes
96.6%
Retention Rate
$60,411
Median Earnings (6yr)
75.8%
Earning Over $25K
91.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 93.0% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 96.6% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $60,411 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $80,516 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 75.8% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 91.2% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $18,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $191/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Barnard College by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Economics
Economics
$111,909 median earnings
- Urban Studies/Affairs
Urban Studies/Affairs
$79,807 median earnings
- Sociology
Sociology
$77,821 median earnings
- Political Science and Gove…
Political Science and Government
$77,805 median earnings
- Biology, General
Biology, General
$75,696 median earnings
- Neurobiology and Neuroscie…
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
$66,787 median earnings
- Area Studies
Area Studies
$66,117 median earnings
- Research and Experimental …
Research and Experimental Psychology
$65,644 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Bachelor's | 92 | $111,909 | $16,250 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Bachelor's | 34 | $79,807 | $19,000 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's | 25 | $77,821 | $14,899 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | 70 | $77,805 | $18,250 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | 10 | $75,696 | $17,520 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | 40 | $66,787 | $17,491 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's | 28 | $66,117 | $19,000 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's | 76 | $65,644 | $17,875 |
| History | Bachelor's | 41 | $62,258 | $16,350 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | 60 | $61,327 | $18,558 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | 18 | - | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 44 | - | $19,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's | - | - | $14,970 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's | 43 | - | - |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | 0 | - | - |
Nearby Schools
Teachers College at Columbia University
New York, NY
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY
8,973 students
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
New York, NY
Manhattan School of Music
New York, NY
539 students
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
New York, NY
172 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Barnard College? ▼
Barnard College is a private nonprofit institution in New York, New York. The acceptance rate is 8.8%. The average SAT score is 1,520. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,264 students.
How much do Barnard College former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Barnard College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $80,516 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $60,411.
How much does Barnard College cost? ▼
The average net price at Barnard College is $28,800. In-state tuition is $69,888 and out-of-state tuition is $69,888. Median student debt at graduation is $18,000.
What is the graduation rate at Barnard College? ▼
Barnard College has a 93.0% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 96.6%.
Is Barnard College worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Barnard College is $18,000, while former students earn a median of $80,516 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 22% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 91.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $191.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Barnard College
- Compare Barnard College against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in New York side by side.Browse New York
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.