California College of the Arts vs. Bard College

Should I go to California College of the Arts or Bard College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California College of the Arts or Bard College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California College of the Arts vs. Bard College comparison
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California College of the Arts Bard College
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Overview

California College of the Arts Bard College
Location Oakland, CA Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Setting Large City Town Fringe
Enrollment 1,501 2,706
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cca.edu bard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California College of the Arts Bard College
Tuition (In State) $53,856 $59,800
Tuition (Out of State) $53,856 $59,800
Room & Board $19,957 $17,180
Avg Net Price $47,862 $25,214
Avg Grant Aid $27,563 $53,584
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 81%

Admission

California College of the Arts Bard College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,987 6,482
Admitted 2,261 2,987
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 46.1%
Enrolled % 8.4% 15%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2025

Academics

California College of the Arts Bard College
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
  • Architecture (11%)
  • Communications Technology (4%)
  • Communication (4%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (23%)
  • English and Literature (14%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

California College of the Arts Bard College
Graduation Rate 49% 76%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,500 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $26,194
Median Loan Payment $289 $270

Diversity

California College of the Arts Bard College
% Men 35% 42%
% Women 65% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 27% 63%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 14% 1%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 0%
% International 31% 10%
% Unknown Race 7% 11%

Students

California College of the Arts Bard College
% In-State 42% 31%
% Out-of-State 20% 59%

Campus

California College of the Arts Bard College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bard College is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (2,706 students vs. 1,501 students)

California College of the Arts vs. Bard College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or Bard College?

  • Bard College is 11% more expensive to attend than California College of the Arts for in-state tuition ($59,800.00 vs. $53,856.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11% higher at Bard College than California College of the Arts ($59,800.00 vs. $53,856.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bard College than California College of the Arts ($25,214 vs. $47,862)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bard College are 16.2% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($17,180 vs. $19,957)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts than Bard College (91% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bard College students is 94.4% larger than aid received California College of the Arts ($53,584 vs. $27,563)

California College of the Arts vs. Bard College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or Bard College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Bard College or California College of the Arts .

  • California College of the Arts has a higher acceptance rate (75.7%) than Bard College (46.1%)

California College of the Arts vs. Bard College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California College of the Arts 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 California College of the Arts.

  • The graduation rate at Bard College is higher than California College of the Arts (76% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California College of the Arts earn on average $1,900 more per year than Bard College graduates after ten years. ($43,500 vs. $41,600)
  • Bard College students graduate with a $1,806 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($26,194 vs. $28,000)
  • Bard College graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($270 vs. $289)
  • More Bard College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/