Notable Alumni of Barnard College

Park Yeon-mi 1993–

North Korean defector, conservative activist and author

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Jeane Kirkpatrick 1926–2006

Diplomat and political scientist in the Reagan administration

Bachelor's degree

Also attended: Stephens College, Columbia University in the City of New York

Virginia Hall 1906–1982

American spy for SOE and OSS in World War II

Also attended: American University, Harvard University

Helen Gahagan Douglas 1900–1980

American actress and politician

Becca Balint 1968–

U.S. Representative from Vermont

Also attended: Harvard University, Smith College

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee 1896–1966

Chinese-American women's suffrage activist and minister

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Mae Yih 1928–

First Chinese American state senator in the US

Martha Stewart 1941–

Founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Child: Alexis Stewart (Barnard College)

Zhang Zetian 1993–

Known as Sister Milk Tea; JD.com fashion adviser

Attended until 2014

Margaret Mead 1901–1978

Cultural anthropologist, author of Coming of Age in Samoa

Also attended: DePauw University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Luther Cressman (Columbia University in the City of New York, The Pennsylvania State University)

Child: Mary Catherine Bateson (Harvard University)

Judith Jarvis Thomson 1929–2020

Philosopher known for the trolley problem

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Anna Schwartz 1915–2012

Economist and monetary historian

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Nancy Dupree 1927–2017

Historian of Afghanistan and archaeologist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Louis Dupree (Harvard University)

Jaqueline Barton 1952–

Chemist at California Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1974

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Peter Dervan (Yale University, Boston College)

Henrietta Hill Swope 1902–1980

Astronomer who studied variable stars

Also attended: Harvard University

Father: Gerard Swope (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Elsie Clews Parsons 1875–1941

Anthropologist and co-founder of The New School

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Herbert Parsons (Yale University, Harvard University)

Anne Anastasi 1908–2001

Psychologist and psychometrics pioneer

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Hessy Levinsons Taft 1934–2026

Chemist featured in Nazi propaganda as an infant

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Earl Taft (Yale University, Amherst College)

Katharine Way 1902–1995

Physicist known for the Nuclear Data Project

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Vassar College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Joan Birman 1927–

Mathematician specializing in low-dimensional topology

Attended until 1948

Also attended: New York University, Swarthmore College

Spouse: Joseph L. Birman (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Sibling: Ruth Lyttle Satter (University of Connecticut, Barnard College)

Ruth Lyttle Satter 1923–1989

Botanist known for circadian leaf movement work

Also attended: University of Connecticut

Sibling: Joan Birman (Barnard College, New York University)

C. K. Yang 1911–1999

Sociologist known for studies of Chinese religion

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Pam Eddinger

President of Bunker Hill Community College

Joan Rivers 1933–2014

Comedian, actress and television host

Attended until 1954

Also attended: Connecticut College, Columbia University in the City of New York

Child: Melissa Rivers (University of Pennsylvania)

Kesha 1987–

Singer, rapper and songwriter

Jhumpa Lahiri 1967–

Pulitzer-winning author of The Namesake

Also attended: Boston University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Greta Gerwig 1983–

Actress and filmmaker

Spouse: Noah Baumbach (Vassar College)

Zora Neale Hurston 1891–1960

Writer, anthropologist and folklorist

Bachelor of Arts · Anthropology · Class of 1928

Also attended: Howard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Erica Jong 1942–

Novelist and poet, author of Fear of Flying

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Jonathan Fast (Princeton University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Patricia Highsmith 1921–1995

Novelist, author of the Tom Ripley series

Lee Remick 1935–1991

Actress, Oscar nominee for Days of Wine and Roses

Laurie Anderson 1947–

Avant-garde artist and musician

Also attended: Northeastern University Oakland, Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Lou Reed (Syracuse University)

Lauren Graham 1967–

Actress known for Gilmore Girls

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, New York University, Southern Methodist University

Cynthia Nixon 1966–

Actress, Emmy and Tony Award winner

Suzanne Vega 1959–

Folk-inspired singer-songwriter

Cassandra Clare 1973–

Young adult fiction author

Father: Richard P. Rumelt (University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University)

Lydia Davis 1947–

Short story writer and translator

Spouse: Paul Auster (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Jane Wyatt 1910–2006

Actress known for Father Knows Best and Star Trek

Edwidge Danticat 1969–

Haitian American novelist and short story writer

Also attended: Brown University

Twyla Tharp 1941–

Dancer and choreographer

Also attended: Pomona College, San Bernardino Valley College, Columbia University in the City of New York

Chelsea Peretti 1978–

Comedian and actress in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Spouse: Jordan Peele (Sarah Lawrence College)

Sibling: Jonah Peretti (University of California-Santa Cruz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Ottessa Moshfegh 1981–

Novelist, author of Eileen

Also attended: Brown University

Christy Carlson Romano 1984–

Actress and singer from Disney Channel

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Aline MacMahon 1899–1991

Broadway and film actress

Fatima Bhutto 1982–

Pakistani writer and columnist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Father: Murtaza Bhutto (Harvard University)

Sibling: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (San Francisco Art Institute)

Vinessa Shaw 1976–

American film actress and model

Mary Antin 1881–1949

Author of The Promised Land and immigration activist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Teachers College at Columbia University

Spouse: Amadeus William Grabau (Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Lionel Shriver 1957–

Author of We Need to Talk About Kevin

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Sprague Grayden 1980–

Actress in Jericho and Paranormal Activity films

Ellen Willis 1941–2006

Left-wing essayist, journalist, feminist and pop music critic

Spouse: Stanley Aronowitz (CUNY Brooklyn College, The New School)

Ellen Kushner 1955–

Fantasy writer, editor and radio host

Also attended: Bryn Mawr College

Spouse: Delia Sherman (Vassar College, Brown University)

Rebecca Goldstein 1950–

Philosopher and novelist

Also attended: Princeton University

Spouse: Steven Pinker (Harvard University)

Child: Yael Goldstein Love (Harvard University)

Sigrid Nunez 1951–

Novelist; The Friend won 2018 National Book Award

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Frankie Shaw 1986–

Actress, writer and director, creator of SMILF

Jamie Babbit 1970–

Director, producer and screenwriter

Spouse: Andrea Sperling (University of California-Santa Barbara)

Elizabeth Hardwick 1916–2007

Literary critic and novelist

Also attended: University of Kentucky, Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Robert Lowell (Harvard University, Kenyon College)

Lisa Brenner 1974–

Actress known for Another World

Spouse: Dean Devlin (University of Southern California)

Leslie Stefanson 1971–

Actress and sculptor

Clara Bryant 1985–

Actress and lawyer

Also attended: University of Georgia, Columbia University in the City of New York

Léonie Adams 1899–1988

Poet and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry in 1948

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1922

Spouse: William Troy (Yale University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Sibling: Louise Adams Holland (Barnard College, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Marjorie Housepian Dobkin 1922–2013

Author and Barnard College English professor

Sibling: Edgar Housepian (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal 1946–

Screenwriter and director, Academy Award nominee

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Teachers College at Columbia University

Spouse: Eric Foner (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Spouse: Stephen Gyllenhaal (Trinity College)

Kang Tongbi 1881–1969

Journalist and poet, daughter of Kang Youwei

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Mei-mei Berssenbrugge 1947–

Chinese American poet, two-time American Book Award winner

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Reed College

Spouse: Richard Tuttle (Trinity College)

Irene Kuo 1919–1993

Chef and author of The Key to Chinese Cooking

Meghan McCain 1984–

TV personality, columnist, daughter of John McCain

Also attended: Howard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Ben Domenech (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of William and Mary)

Father: John McCain (United States Naval Academy)

Erinn Smart 1980–

Foil fencer at the 2008 Olympics

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Isra Hirsi 2003–

Environmental activist; co-founder of US Youth Climate Strike

Mother: Ilhan Omar (North Dakota State University-Main Campus)

Grace Lee Boggs 1915–2015

Social activist, author and feminist

Bachelor of Arts · Philosophy · Class of 1935

Also attended: Bryn Mawr College