Barnard College

In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Barnard College placed 19th, continuing to hold a position among the country's top twenty liberal arts institutions. Gaining admission is highly selective, reflected in an admit rate of 8.8% for female applicants in 2025. When evaluated against a comparison group of 30 closely ranked private liberal arts colleges, Barnard's admit rate is higher than 13% of peer schools, coming in substantially lower than the peer median of 16.9%. The college also commands an exceptionally strong draw among students who receive offers. In 2025, its yield rate stood at 68.6%, which was higher than all peer schools in the comparison group, where the median yield was 34.8%. This means that more than two-thirds of admitted applicants choose to enroll, showing that Barnard is rarely treated as an afterthought by those admitted. For prospective applicants, this combination of low acceptance rates and high yield requires strong preparation across every part of the application.

Barnard College maintains rigorous academic expectations, and applicants who submit standardized testing typically place near the top percentiles nationwide. For the class entering in 2025, the median SAT score was 1520, which was higher than 83% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 closely ranked private liberal arts colleges. Admitted students taking the ACT demonstrated similar strength, with middle composite scores spanning from 32 to 34. Test submission rates have declined significantly since 2016, and a minority of entering students presented test scores in recent cycles. Both the reading and mathematics sections reflect elevated standards across the board. For prospective applicants evaluating their admissions profile, these figures indicate that successful candidates need an exceptional academic background, generally marked by high course marks and standardized results that place firmly within these upper score bands.

Degrees awarded at Barnard College show moderate concentration, with the top three bachelor programs accounting for 27.6% of all bachelor degrees in 2025. The single largest major was Econometrics and Quantitative Economics with 100 graduates, followed by Computer Science and Research and Experimental Psychology. In the 2027 U.S. News program rankings, Psychology was ranked 50th and Economics was ranked 62nd, indicating that two of the college's largest academic programs also hold its strongest departmental rankings. In contrast, Computer Science ranked 217th, illustrating that student interest does not always mirror ranking standing. Post-graduation compensation varies considerably across fields. Based on 2023 median earnings data collected one year after graduation, Computer and Information Sciences graduates led all disciplines at $119,032. International students are particularly concentrated in quantitative fields, making up 37% of graduates in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. For prospective applicants, Barnard provides clear academic strengths in economics and psychology alongside competitive technical career outcomes.

Barnard College enrolled 3,487 undergraduate students in 2025. The incoming first-year cohort comprised 718 students, all female. Within this first-year class, White students constituted the largest racial demographic, followed closely by Asian students, who numbered 200, alongside international students and Hispanic students. Continuing undergraduates made up the majority of the campus, totaling 2,399 students, who were likewise all female. Among continuing students, White students formed the largest contingent, followed by Asian students and Hispanic students, with international students also maintaining a steady presence. The college also admitted a smaller cohort of transfer students, where international students made up the single largest segment. Across all classes, Asian and international students account for substantial portions of the undergraduate community.

Undergraduate enrollment at Barnard College is concentrated almost entirely in traditional college-age cohorts. Among the 3,350 undergraduates recorded in 2025, students aged twenty to twenty-one formed the single largest group, accounting for 47.6% of the undergraduate student body. The second largest group consisted of students aged eighteen to nineteen, who represented 39.0%, while those aged twenty-two to twenty-four comprised 10.3%. Students outside this eighteen-to-twenty-four bracket make up only a minimal fraction of the campus. This age structure shows an undergraduate environment centered on traditional students progressing straight from high school into consecutive years of study.

International representation at Barnard College has expanded over the past decade, with international enrollment existing exclusively at the undergraduate level because the institution has no graduate degree programs. In 2025, international students accounted for 14.7% of all undergraduates, a share that is higher than 83% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 closely ranked private liberal arts colleges. Among students completing their degrees in 2025, international graduates earned 15.5% of all bachelor degrees awarded. By field of study, international graduates concentrate heavily in quantitative and analytical social sciences. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics had the highest international focus, with international students comprising 37% of the major's graduates, followed by notable shares in experimental psychology and computer science. Conversely, humanities programs such as English literature and political science enrolled relatively few international students. This distribution shows that international students at Barnard gravitate toward business economics and quantitative research tracks.

Applicants considering Barnard College have several nearby university options within New York City. Directly across the street, Columbia University in the City of New York is located 0.1 kilometers away and is ranked 12th among National Universities in the 2027 rankings. Just to the north, CUNY City College sits 1.0 kilometer away and holds the 156th spot on the National Universities list. Further uptown, Yeshiva University is located 3.3 kilometers from Barnard and ranks 90th in the same category. Additionally, Fordham University is 5.4 kilometers away and is ranked 85th among National Universities. These institutions provide alternative academic environments in close proximity to Barnard's campus.

Campus safety data at Barnard College indicate that overall incident numbers have decreased significantly in recent years. In 2025, the institution recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 3.8, down from higher rates documented a decade earlier. When reviewing category totals over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, non-violent substance offenses and property issues formed the vast majority of logged incidents. Disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations represented the single largest category, with 25 incidents recorded between 2023 and 2025. Property and personal offenses took place far less frequently, with theft accounting for 7 incidents across that same timeframe. Stalking cases, residence hall fires, and robberies were recorded in minor numbers during those years. For families evaluating the campus environment, these records reflect an urban residential setting where safety incidents primarily center around alcohol policy violations and occasional campus thefts rather than frequent violent offenses.