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Williams Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Dartmouth Brown Vassar Harvard Hamilton College Wellesley Cornell Pomona| Amherst College | Bard College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
| Location | Amherst, MA | Annandale-On-Hudson, NY | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Town Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 1,910 | 2,922 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #15 | #180 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | amherst.edu | bard.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $66,650 | $62,790 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $66,650 | $62,790 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,560 | $18,040 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,965 | $25,218 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $65,623 | $56,380 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 77% |
Admission |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 12,727 | 6,628 | ||
| Admitted | 1,250 | 3,466 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 9.8% | 52.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 39% | 11.6% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | - | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | - | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 31/35 | 30/32 | ||
| SAT Range | 1360/1550 | 1290/1440 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 2, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 9:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
| Graduation Rate | 96% | 76% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,000 | $41,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 83% | 81% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,975 | $26,194 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $134 | $270 |
Diversity |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 0% | 6% | ||
| % Women | 0% | 10% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 42% | 63% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 1% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 0% | ||
| % International | 10% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 11% |
Students |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 9% | 31% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 77% | 59% | ||
Campus |
Amherst | Bard College | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Bard College is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (2,922 students vs. 1,910 students)
Amherst vs. Bard College Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Bard College?
- Amherst College is 6.1% more expensive to attend than Bard College for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $62,790.00)
- Out of state tuition is 6.1% higher at Amherst than Bard College ($66,650.00 vs. $62,790.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Bard College ($17,965 vs. $25,218)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 2.7% lower than costs at Bard College ($17,560 vs. $18,040)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Bard College than Amherst College (77% vs. 58%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 16.4% larger than aid received Bard College ($65,623 vs. $56,380)
Amherst vs. Bard College Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or Bard College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Bard College or Amherst .
- Bard College has a higher acceptance rate (52.3%) than Amherst (9.8%)
Amherst vs. Bard College Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Amherst or Bard College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Bard College and Amherst.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Bard College (96% vs. 76%)
- Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $40,400 more per year than Bard College graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $41,600)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $13,219 lower median federal student loan debt than Bard College graduates. ($12,975 vs. $26,194)
- Amherst graduates are paying $136 less per month on federal student loans than Bard College graduates. ($134 vs. $270)
- More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bard College students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 81%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/