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The average acceptance rate at Bard over the past 10 years is 54.33%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 52.12%.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 15.06%, and the 2025 yield is 12.78%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 35.22% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Bard applicants increased by 14.41% (955 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 7.65% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 52.12%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that Bard is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 12.78%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Bard. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Bard received approximately 7,583 applications, admitted 3,952 students, and enrolled 505 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Bard is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Bard 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Bard over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 54.33%, while the most recent rate stands at 52.12%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 52.12%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 50.36% and for women is 56.52%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Bard have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 32.17% | 31.08% | 32.78% |
| 2016-17 | 56.21% 24.04% |
53.53% 22.45% |
57.65% 24.87% |
| 2017-18 | 58.21% 2.00% |
55.75% 2.23% |
59.62% 1.97% |
| 2018-19 | 64.56% 6.35% |
58.29% 2.54% |
68.16% 8.53% |
| 2019-20 | 64.76% 0.20% |
65.04% 6.75% |
64.61% -3.54% |
| 2020-21 | 56.95% -7.81% |
53.30% -11.74% |
58.93% -5.69% |
| 2021-22 | 60.00% 3.04% |
56.00% 2.70% |
61.99% 3.06% |
| 2022-23 | 46.08% -13.91% |
41.05% -14.95% |
48.46% -13.53% |
| 2023-24 | 52.29% 6.21% |
46.22% 5.17% |
55.50% 7.04% |
| 2024-25 | 52.12% -0.18% |
43.34% -2.88% |
57.48% 1.98% |
| Average | 54.33% | 50.36% | 56.52% |
Bard has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 19.73% in 2015 to 12.78% in 2025, representing a 35.22% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 15.06%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Bard from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 35.22% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 19.73% | 24.43% | 17.23% |
| 2016-17 | 17.48% -2.25% |
19.88% -4.55% |
16.28% -0.95% |
| 2017-18 | 16.40% -1.07% |
18.94% -0.93% |
15.04% -1.24% |
| 2018-19 | 14.64% -1.76% |
17.84% -1.10% |
13.07% -1.96% |
| 2019-20 | 15.15% 0.51% |
16.03% -1.82% |
14.70% 1.62% |
| 2020-21 | 12.83% -2.33% |
15.18% -0.85% |
11.68% -3.02% |
| 2021-22 | 15.00% 2.17% |
17.95% 2.77% |
14.01% 2.33% |
| 2022-23 | 15.00% 0.00% |
17.23% -0.72% |
14.11% 0.10% |
| 2023-24 | 11.60% -3.40% |
14.27% -2.96% |
10.42% -3.68% |
| 2024-25 | 12.78% 1.18% |
14.60% 0.33% |
11.80% 1.38% |
| Average | 15.06% | 17.64% | 13.83% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 5,803, the average number of admitted is 3,088, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 458.
The number of Bard applicants increased by 14.41% (955 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 7.65% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Bard College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 7,044 | 2,266 | 447 |
| 2016-17 | 5,181 -26.45% |
2,912 28.51% |
509 13.87% |
| 2017-18 | 4,922 -5.00% |
2,865 -1.61% |
470 -7.66% |
| 2018-19 | 5,141 4.45% |
3,319 15.85% |
486 3.40% |
| 2019-20 | 4,912 -4.45% |
3,181 -4.16% |
482 -0.82% |
| 2020-21 | 4,969 1.16% |
2,830 -11.03% |
363 -24.69% |
| 2021-22 | 5,167 3.98% |
3,100 9.54% |
465 28.10% |
| 2022-23 | 6,482 25.45% |
2,987 -3.65% |
448 -3.66% |
| 2023-24 | 6,628 2.25% |
3,466 16.04% |
402 -10.27% |
| 2024-25 | 7,583 14.41% |
3,952 14.02% |
505 25.62% |
| Average | 5,803 | 3,088 | 458 |
The following table compares Bard College' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bard College | 52.29% | 52.12% | -0.33% |
| New York University | 9.23% | 9.41% | -1.91% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 3.99% | 4.23% | -5.67% |
| Cornell University | 8.76% | 8.16% | 7.35% |
| Syracuse University | 45.92% | 41.69% | 10.15% |
| St. John's University-New York | 83.43% | 79.67% | 4.72% |
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