Barnard College

Yes — Barnard is highly selective, admitting about 10% of applicants in the most recent cycle, roughly 1,048 offers out of about 10,430 applications. Admitted students are concentrated near the top of their class: enrolled first-years posted middle-50% SAT scores of 1480-1540 and ACT scores of 32-35.

Yes — Barnard is a women's liberal arts college, and all of its roughly 3,220 degree-seeking undergraduates are women. It is located in New York City's Morningside Heights, and it shares Columbia University's courses, libraries, and degrees through their longstanding partnership.

Yes, Barnard's binding Early Decision round admits at a noticeably higher rate than the overall pool. Of 1,437 Early Decision applicants, 476 were admitted, an Early Decision rate of about 33%, well above the roughly 10% overall acceptance rate. Because ED is binding, you commit to enrolling if admitted.

Barnard doesn't publish a minimum GPA or class-rank cutoff, and for its most recent class it reported neither an average GPA nor a class-rank distribution. Review is holistic: the college weighs the rigor of your high school course load and your academic GPA as very important, with class rank treated as important. Strong grades in a demanding program count most, since only about 10% of applicants are admitted.

Barnard is test-optional, so you can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1480-1540 on the SAT and 32-35 on the ACT, with about 99% of SAT submitters scoring 1400 or higher, so a submitted score generally helps most when it lands in or above that range.

Barnard is an independent women's college partnered with Columbia University in Morningside Heights, and Barnard students take Columbia courses, use its libraries, and earn a degree affiliated with Columbia. Barnard runs its own admissions and is highly selective in its own right, admitting about 10% of roughly 10,430 applicants.

Tuition and required fees are about $75,592 per year, with the total cost of attendance higher once on-campus housing and food (around $23,258) are added. Barnard meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; roughly 37% of first-years receive need-based grant or scholarship aid, with an average need-based package near $73,503.

Yes — Barnard rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, on par with GPA, rigor of coursework, recommendations, and personal character, and above standardized test scores, which are only considered. With an acceptance rate near 10%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out.

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