MCLA vs. Simon's Rock

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Bard College at Simon's Rock? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or Simon's Rock 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UMass Dartmouth UMass Westfield State University Wheaton College MIT Bard College Lesley University
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs. Bard College at Simon's Rock comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Bard College at Simon's Rock College 3 College 4
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Location North Adams, MA Great Barrington, MA
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 938 298
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu simons-rock.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $61,600
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $61,600
Room & Board $13,632 $17,200
Avg Net Price $15,377 $44,326
Avg Grant Aid $9,044 $38,119
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,456 154
Admitted 1,346 147
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 95.5%
Enrolled % 13.2% 63.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.54
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jun 1, 2025

Academics

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (65%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (4%)
  • Social Sciences (4%)
  • General Studies (3%)

Outcomes

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Graduation Rate 53% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $39,900
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $14,500
Median Loan Payment $254 $149

Diversity

 MCLA Simon's Rock
% Men 42% 39%
% Women 58% 61%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 54%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 0% 14%
% Unknown Race 4% 8%

Students

 MCLA Simon's Rock
% In-State 55% 23%
% Out-of-State 45% 61%

Campus

 MCLA Simon's Rock
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is larger than than Simon's Rock based on total student enrollment (938 students vs. 298 students)

MCLA vs. Simon's Rock Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or Simon's Rock?

  • Bard College at Simon's Rock is 5,880.6% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($61,600.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 517.5% higher at Simon's Rock than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($61,600.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Simon's Rock ($15,377 vs. $44,326)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are 26.2% lower than costs at Bard College at Simon's Rock ($13,632 vs. $17,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Bard College at Simon's Rock (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bard College at Simon's Rock students is 321.5% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($38,119 vs. $9,044)

MCLA vs. Simon's Rock Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MCLA or Simon's Rock? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Simon's Rock or MCLA .

  • Accepted freshman Simon's Rock students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at MCLA (3.2)
  • Simon's Rock has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than MCLA (92.4%)

MCLA vs. Simon's Rock Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or Simon's Rock? 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 Simon's Rock and MCLA.

  • Graduates from Bard College at Simon's Rock earn on average $2,800 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($39,900 vs. $37,100)
  • Bard College at Simon's Rock students graduate with a $10,159 lower median federal student loan debt than MCLA graduates. ($14,500 vs. $24,659)
  • Simon's Rock graduates are paying $105 less per month on federal student loans than MCLA graduates. ($149 vs. $254)
  • More Simon's Rock graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 63%)

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