Longy School of Music of Bard College
Cambridge, MA 02138
About Longy School of Music of Bard College
Longy School of Music of Bard College is a private trade and vocational school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, enrolling about 10 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $38,530 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $55,275. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $46,543 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Longy School of Music of Bard College charges about 1.9× the national private non-profit median tuition ($55,275).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is 61% above.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 77.78%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $46,543.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Longy School of Music of Bard College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 202% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longy School of Music of Bard College | $55,275 | $38,530 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Massachusetts (state median) | $34,256 | $12,244 | 93 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 30% below published tuition at Longy School of Music of Bard College
Key findings
- Longy School of Music of Bard College's average net price ($38,530) is 30% below published tuition ($55,275).
- Longy School of Music of Bard College charges about 1.9× the national private non-profit median tuition ($55,275).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is 61% above.
Longy School of Music of Bard College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $55,275
Finding Longy School of Music of Bard College charges about 1.9× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $55,275. That is about 1.9× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Massachusetts median ($34,256), sticker tuition is 61% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 4.6×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Longy School of Music of Bard College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Longy School of Music of Bard College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Longy School of Music of Bard College is $38,530.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $38,530 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $26,286 above the Massachusetts median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $20,482 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Longy School of Music of Bard College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 30% lower after grants and scholarships.
Longy School of Music of Bard College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Longy School of Music of Bard College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$55,275
Avg. net price
$38,530
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $30,001–$48,000 | $40,055 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $37,005 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $221,100. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Longy School of Music of Bard College is known for
Top program completions
- Voice and Opera34
- Keyboard Instruments26
- Music Teacher Education21
- Music Performance, General18
- Stringed Instruments12
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 13% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Longy School of Music of Bard College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Longy School of Music of Bard College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Campus
Location
Cambridge, MA
City / state
- ZIP
- 02138
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is about 2.1× the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting)
Size
Enrollment
10
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 17
- Graduate
- 307
- Full-time share
- 80%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$24,254
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 5.88%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Longy School of Music of Bard College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Longy School of Music of Bard College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $33,050 | $33,050 | $34,528 |
| 2014 | $35,050 | $35,050 | $33,961 |
| 2015 | $36,750 | $36,750 | $43,551 |
| 2016 | $38,800 | $38,800 | $20,235 |
| 2017 | $40,780 | $40,780 | $47,392 |
| 2018 | $42,865 | $42,865 | $49,433 |
| 2019 | $44,730 | $44,730 | — |
| 2020 | $46,880 | $46,880 | $32,808 |
| 2021 | $48,800 | $48,800 | $21,650 |
| 2022 | $50,675 | $50,675 | $28,505 |
| 2023 | $52,950 | $52,950 | $43,291 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Longy School of Music of Bard College reported total enrollment of about 10 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 60% male and 40% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Non-Resident Alien (70.0%), White (20.0%), and Asian (10.0%). About 5.88% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 12.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
80.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2024 is 10 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 17 students. Graduate enrollment is about 307 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
85.7%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
77.78% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Longy School of Music of Bard College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Voice and Opera: 21% male / 79% female
- Keyboard Instruments: 19% male / 81% female
- Music Teacher Education: 29% male / 71% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Longy School of Music of Bard College graduates earn a median of $46,543 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $46,543. Median federal loan debt: $24,254. Average net price used in cost models: $38,530.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Longy School of Music of Bard College graduates report median earnings of $46,543 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 8 programs by IPEDS completions (9 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Longy School of Music of Bard College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Longy School of Music of Bard College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$8.5M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Massachusetts median 0.14× the median ($62.1M)
- New England median 0.20× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 0.32× the median ($26.4M)
- Massachusetts median near the median ($30,011)
- New England median 1.3× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 2.5× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 7.0%
- Massachusetts median 44.1 pp below median (51.1%)
- New England median 46.3 pp below median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 51.0 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $5,720
- Massachusetts median 0.59× the median ($9,649)
- New England median 0.62× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median 0.75× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $11,479
- Massachusetts median near the median ($11,192)
- New England median 1.1× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Longy School of Music of Bard College at a glance
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Longy School of Music of Bard College is a private non-profit institution in Cambridge, MA, classified as Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting).
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Voice and OperaKeyboard InstrumentsMusic Teacher Education
- Largest enrollment groups
- Non-Resident Alien70.0%White or Caucasian20.0%Asian10.0%
Schools near Longy School of Music of Bard College
Other campuses in Cambridge, MA when available, plus nearby institutions in Massachusetts.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within Massachusetts, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Longy School of Music of Bard College located?
Longy School of Music of Bard College is located in Cambridge, MA.
What is Longy School of Music of Bard College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Longy School of Music of Bard College is 84.4% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 109 applicants and 92 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Longy School of Music of Bard College's tuition?
Longy School of Music of Bard College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $55,275 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $38,530 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Longy School of Music of Bard College cost?
Reported tuition is $55,275 and average net price is $38,530 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $14,738 annually.
Why is Longy School of Music of Bard College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Longy School of Music of Bard College, published tuition is $55,275 while average net price is $38,530—about 30% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Longy School of Music of Bard College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($38,530), completion (77.8% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($46,543). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Longy School of Music of Bard College?
Longy School of Music of Bard College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 17 students, Non-Resident Alien (70.0%), White (20.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Longy School of Music of Bard College?
About 12.2% of students at Longy School of Music of Bard College are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Longy School of Music of Bard College earn?
Median earnings are $31,072 six years after entry and $46,543 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Longy School of Music of Bard College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 77.8% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Longy School of Music of Bard College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $24,254.
Is Longy School of Music of Bard College public or private?
Longy School of Music of Bard College is a private nonprofit institution located in Cambridge, MA.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Massachusetts college profile
- Massachusetts college costs
- Massachusetts colleges by ROI
- Massachusetts trade schools profile
- Cambridge, Massachusetts city profile
- New England regional profile
- Suburban college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Massachusetts
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.