College Profiles/ Barnard College
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Barnard College Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
New York, NY · 3,187 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Barnard College for fall 2027, verified against the school’s own Common Data Set, cost of attendance and admissions pages, with ConnectPrep’s strategic read.
By Jeremy Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep
Updated October 11, 2026 · Data verified against official sources
✓ Every figure cited
Quick answer
Barnard College admitted 8.8% of first-year applicants.[1] Early Decision applicants were admitted at 33.1%.[2] The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years is 1480 to 1540.[2] The most recent cost of attendance is $89,538.[1] First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $72,461.[2] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 1, Regular Decision Jan 1.[3]
8.8%
Overall admit rate[1]
33.1%
Early Decision admit rate[2]
1480 to 1540
Middle 50% SAT[2]
$89,538
Cost of attendance[1]
$72,461
Average need-based grant[2]
Barnard College at a Glance
- Location
- New York, NY
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 9:1[2]
- Endowment
- $503 million (federal data)[1]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Optional[3]
- Application
- Common App, QuestBridge[3]
- First-year retention
- 97.0%[2]
The ConnectPrep Take on Barnard College
The ConnectPrep take
Barnard looks for students who are passionate, curious, driven, empathetic and brilliant, with proven academic strength, and it reads every file contextually with no single score deciding the outcome. Its pitch is the pairing of small classes with Columbia's resources, so your student's writing should show why that combination fits. Barnard has one binding round, Early Decision on Nov 1, and 33.1% of 1,437 ED applicants were admitted; early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies. Regular Decision closes Jan 1. Testing is optional through the 2027 cycle; with a middle 50% SAT of 1480 to 1540, submit at 1510 or above and aim for 1540. There are no interviews, only an optional Glimpse video. The mistake we see involves the Barnard and JTS Double Degree: apply only through the List College Common App, never both.
What to do this fall
- Apply Early Decision by Nov 1 if Barnard is first; recommendations and school report follow by Nov 20.
- Self-report an SAT of 1510 or higher by Nov 20 for ED or Feb 28 for RD.
- Record the optional Glimpse video and submit it with the application, since Barnard does not interview.
- Double Degree applicants should use only the List College (JTS) Common App and choose the program before the deadline.
Applying to Barnard College? Get a free strategy session. We map your student’s round, testing plan, essays and every scholarship deadline for this school.
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Barnard College Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| Early Decision[2] |
1,437 |
476 |
33.1% |
- The Early Decision admit rate is about 3.8 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacy applicants, so the true advantage for a typical applicant is smaller.
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[2] |
730 to 760 |
| SAT Math[2] |
730 to 790 |
| SAT composite[2] |
1480 to 1540 |
| ACT composite[2] |
32 to 35 |
| Enrolled students who submitted the SAT[2] |
38% |
| Enrolled students who submitted the ACT[2] |
16% |
The admit rate on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, which reports an earlier entering class than the school’s newest Common Data Set.[1]
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 1540 on the SAT, the 75th percentile here, or 35 on the ACT. When testing is optional, we generally advise submitting scores at or above about 1510, the middle of the range. A higher score is always better, and the test can be retaken. Not there yet? Take a free practice test and we will build the plan to close the gap.
What Barnard College looks for
In its own words: Barnard looks for students who are passionate, curious, driven, empathetic, and brilliant, with proven academic strength. Every application is read contextually and holistically, with no single criterion or score deciding the outcome.[5]
Barnard College Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 1 |
mid-Dec |
| Regular Decision |
Jan 1 |
late Mar |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Barnard College’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
| FAFSA, CSS Profile, documents |
Nov 1 (ED, QuestBridge); Jan 15 (RD) |
The 2027-28 table lists Nov 1, 2026 for ED and QuestBridge and Jan 15, 2027 for RD. Page text also says Nov 15 for ED forms, so confirm with Barnard aid.[6] |
| No interviews; optional Glimpse video |
Nov 1 (ED); Jan 1 (RD) |
Barnard does not interview. Optional Glimpse videos for US and QuestBridge applicants, and paid InitialView or Vericant interviews for international applicants, are due with the application.[7] |
| Barnard and JTS Double Degree |
See note |
Apply only through the List College (JTS) Common App and choose the Double Degree Program; do not also submit Barnard's Common App. You must pick one before the deadline.[8] |
| Self-reported test scores |
Nov 20 (ED); Feb 28 (RD) |
Barnard stays test optional through 2027; self-reported scores are due Nov 20 for ED and Feb 28 for RD. ED recommendations and school report are also due Nov 20.[7] |
See how Barnard College compares with other colleges in the Northeast deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Barnard College Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (federal data)[1] |
$89,538 |
| Tuition[1] |
$69,888 |
| First-years awarded need-based aid[2] |
36.6% |
| Average need-based scholarship or grant[2] |
$72,461 |
| Average total financial aid package[2] |
$73,503 |
| Average share of need met[2] |
100.0% |
- For a family that qualifies for need-based aid, the average grant would bring the $89,538 cost of attendance down to roughly $17,077 before loans and work-study. This is a ConnectPrep calculation for illustration; your student’s number depends on your family’s finances, so run the school’s net price calculator.
- Barnard College states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[9]
- International students: Need-aware. Barnard practices need-blind admission for domestic first-year applicants and has limited financial aid funding for international first-year applicants.[9]
What families actually pay: net price by income
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the average grants and scholarships for first-year students receiving aid, by family income. It comes from federal data, which runs a year or two behind the school’s current cost figures.[1]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $0 to $30,000 |
$11,600 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 |
$15,374 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 |
$19,094 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 |
$24,753 |
| Over $110,000 |
$51,378 |
| All aided students |
$28,800 |
Academics and Majors at Barnard College
Signature programs
The Columbia Connection
Barnard combines small, intimate classes in a collaborative setting with the resources of a major research university, Columbia.[10]
Foundations curriculum
A rigorous but flexible general education curriculum built to sharpen how students interpret information.[10]
Senior capstone
Every major culminates in a senior project that serves as a capstone for the student's work in the field.[10]
Student research programs
Barnard offers a range of programs that give students hands-on research experience with faculty.[10]
Barnard Global
Barnard Global works with the Barnard community to enhance and broaden the College's engagement with the world.[10]
Choosing a major and getting in
Barnard's five most popular majors are Economics, Neuroscience and Behavior, Computer Science, Psychology, and Political Science, and every student's senior project serves as a capstone for the major.[10]
Special admission paths
- Early Decision.[7]
- QuestBridge partner.[7]
Barnard College Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[2] |
97.0% |
| Graduated within four years[2] |
80.6% |
| Graduated within six years[2] |
92.0% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[1] |
$80,516 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[1] |
$18,000 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[1] |
16% |
Make Barnard College a realistic goal
ConnectPrep builds the full plan: the right round, a score target and test schedule, essays that sound like your student, and every scholarship and program deadline on one calendar. Start with a free consultation or a free practice test.
Compare Similar Colleges
Barnard College FAQs
What is the Barnard College acceptance rate?
Barnard College admitted 8.8% of first-year applicants. The Early Decision admit rate was 33.1%.
When are the Barnard College application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 1; Regular Decision Jan 1.
How much does Barnard College cost?
The most recent cost of attendance is $89,538. First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $72,461. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
What SAT score do you need for Barnard College?
The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1480 to 1540 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. ConnectPrep advises aiming for 1540, the 75th percentile. Testing policy for fall 2027 entry: Optional.
Is Barnard test optional?
Yes. Barnard is test optional for students applying through the 2027 first-year cycle, and no other materials are requested in lieu of scores. Self-reported scores are due Nov 20 for ED and Feb 28 for Regular Decision. The middle 50% SAT is 1480 to 1540, so we advise submitting at or above 1510.
What is Barnard's early decision admit rate?
Barnard admitted 33.1% of its 1,437 Early Decision applicants. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies, so that rate overstates the odds for a typical applicant. ED is binding and closes Nov 1, with decisions in mid-December, and it is Barnard's only early round.
About the author
Jeremy Fine
Jeremy Fine founded ConnectPrep in 2013 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education, spanning test preparation, college advising and academic program management. He holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh.
ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut, and works with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person and online. Meet the team.
This profile is an independent ConnectPrep resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Barnard College. Figures come from the sources listed above as published when checked in October 2026; the Common Data Set year is noted where used. Policies and costs change, so confirm with the school before applying.
