Getting in
For Fall 2025, 10,426 first-year students applied to Barnard, 1,048 were admitted and 702 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 10.1%.
Source: Barnard Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Barnard's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole college, with no rate by major.
Source: Barnard Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set gives early decision counts only for an earlier class, so this page shows no early decision acceptance rate. Barnard says its review is the same in both rounds and that it has historically filled 40 to 45 percent of the first-year class from early decision.
Source: Barnard Admissions, Early Decision and Regular Decision (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
51 majors across 1 school. Every major field in Barnard's official 2026-2027 Catalogue, each leading to the B.A. Minors and graduate programs are left out.
Majors51
- Africana Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Ancient Studies (B.A.)
- Anthropology (B.A.)
- Architecture (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures (B.A.)
- Biological Sciences (B.A.)
- Biochemistry (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Cognitive Science (B.A.)
- Comparative Literature (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Dance (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Economic and Social History (B.A.)
- Economics and Mathematics (B.A.)
- Education Studies (B.A.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environment and Sustainability (B.A.)
- Environmental Biology (B.A.)
- Environmental Science (B.A.)
- European Studies (B.A.)
- Film Studies (B.A.)
- French (B.A.)
- German (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Human Rights Studies (B.A.)
- Italian (B.A.)
- Jewish Studies (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Applied Mathematics (B.A.)
- Mathematical Sciences (B.A.)
- Mathematics-Computer Science (B.A.)
- Mathematics-Statistics (B.A.)
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Neuroscience and Behavior (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Astronomy (B.A.)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Religion (B.A.)
- Russian and Slavic Languages (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish and Latin American Cultures (B.A.)
- Theatre (B.A.)
- Urban Studies (B.A.)
- Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies (B.A.)
Source: Barnard College Catalogue 2026-2027, Academic Fields of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 1 | Mid-December | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 1 | Late March | No |
The application, essay and short answer questions are due by 11:59 pm your local time. If you send test scores, self-report them by November 20 for Early Decision or February 28 for Regular Decision. The reply date is May 1.
Source: Barnard Admissions, The Application Process (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: if you are admitted, you agree to attend Barnard and withdraw all other applications, and you sign an Early Decision Agreement. If you are deferred, you are reviewed again in Regular Decision.
Source: Barnard Admissions, Early Decision and Regular Decision (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Barnard is SAT and ACT test-optional for students applying for 2027 entry. You may apply with or without scores, and nothing else is asked for in their place. If you send scores, Barnard superscores both the SAT and the ACT, and you self-report them; admitted students who enroll send official scores.
Source: Barnard Admissions, Standardized Testing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set gives January 6 as the latest date for SAT or ACT scores to arrive; Barnard's own pages give the later self-report dates above.
Source: Barnard Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
- Testing. Barnard calls its test-optional policy temporary and has set it only through the 2027 entry cycle. It has not said whether students entering in fall 2028 must send SAT or ACT scores.
Source: Barnard Admissions, Temporary Test-Optional FAQ (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
We found nothing else announced for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Barnard Admissions, Standardized Testing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Barnard, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $73,120 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $2,472 |
| Housing (on campus) | $14,054 |
| Food (on-campus meal plan) | $9,204 |
| Books and supplies | $1,200 |
| Transportation | $1,070 |
| Other expenses | $1,830 |
| Total | $102,950 |
For a full-time first-year student living on campus.
Source: Barnard Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $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 incomes | $28,800 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Barnard's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Barnard College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · Private11.1% admitted$31,944 average net price
Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Private8.4% admitted$28,690 average net price
New York UniversityNew York, NY · Private9.1% admitted$37,050 average net price
Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY · Private13.6% admitted$28,985 average net price
University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private9.4% admitted$26,780 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.