Bard College at Simon's Rock
Great Barrington, MA 01230-9702
About Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bard College at Simon's Rock is a private two-year college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, enrolling about 225 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $31,625 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $68,780. Student demographics in federal data include White (37.3%) and Non-Resident Alien (32.9%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Bard College at Simon's Rock charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($68,780).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 2.0×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 68.28%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $46,543.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at Bard College at Simon's Rock is about 54% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $68,780; average net price is $31,625 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Bard College at Simon's Rock is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 268% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bard College at Simon's Rock | $68,780 | $31,625 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Massachusetts (state median) | $34,256 | $12,244 | 93 |
| 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 54% below published tuition at Bard College at Simon's Rock
Key findings
- Bard College at Simon's Rock's average net price ($31,625) is 54% below published tuition ($68,780).
- Bard College at Simon's Rock charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($68,780).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 2.0×.
Bard College at Simon's Rock tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $68,780
Finding Bard College at Simon's Rock charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $68,780. That is about 2.3× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Massachusetts median ($34,256), sticker tuition is about 2.0×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.8×.
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 Bard College at Simon's Rock versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Bard College at Simon's Rock versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Bard College at Simon's Rock is $31,625.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $31,625 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $19,381 above the Massachusetts median net price.
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 Bard College at Simon's Rock’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 54% lower after grants and scholarships.
Bard College at Simon's Rock: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Bard College at Simon's Rock—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$68,780
Avg. net price
$31,625
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $27,480 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $41,839 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $30,051 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $24,820 |
| $110,001+ | $32,298 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $275,120. 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 Bard College at Simon's Rock is known for
Top program completions
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies66
- Psychology, General6
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation5
- Pre-Engineering3
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General3
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 59% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Bard College at Simon's Rock a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Bard College at Simon's Rock is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 54% lower in this extract).
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 Bard College at Simon's Rock.
Campus
Location
Great Barrington, MA
City / state
- ZIP
- 01230-9702
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Medical Schools and Centers
Size
Enrollment
225
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 390
- Full-time share
- 99%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$24,254
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 16.99%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Bard College at Simon's Rock.
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 Bard College at Simon's Rock 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 Bard College at Simon's Rock 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 | $46,713 | $46,713 | $29,821 |
| 2014 | $48,551 | $48,551 | $27,946 |
| 2015 | $50,209 | $50,209 | $31,085 |
| 2016 | $52,870 | $52,870 | $33,096 |
| 2017 | $53,418 | $53,418 | $33,991 |
| 2018 | $55,082 | $55,082 | $33,769 |
| 2019 | $56,901 | $56,901 | $32,232 |
| 2020 | $61,169 | $61,169 | $42,843 |
| 2021 | $63,583 | $63,583 | $33,316 |
| 2022 | $64,951 | $64,951 | $34,180 |
| 2023 | $66,594 | $66,594 | $36,684 |
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
Bard College at Simon's Rock reported total enrollment of about 225 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 44% male and 56% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (37.3%), Non-Resident Alien (32.9%), and Race/ethnicity unknown (10.7%). About 16.99% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 12.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
98.7% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Bard College at Simon's Rock in 2024 is 225 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 390 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
77.5%
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
68.28% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Bard College at Simon's Rock completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies: 39% male / 61% female
- Psychology, General: 50% male / 50% female
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation: 20% male / 80% 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.
Bard College at Simon's Rock graduates earn a median of $46,543 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Bard College at Simon's Rock.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $46,543. Median federal loan debt: $24,254. Average net price used in cost models: $31,625.
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 Bard College at Simon's Rock 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 Bard College at Simon's Rock.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (16 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Bard College at Simon's Rock.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Bard College at Simon's Rock graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Bard College at Simon's Rock—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$2.4M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Massachusetts median 0.04× the median ($62.1M)
- New England median 0.06× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 0.09× the median ($26.4M)
- Massachusetts median 0.29× the median ($30,011)
- New England median 0.38× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 0.72× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 66.2%
- Massachusetts median 15.1 pp above median (51.1%)
- New England median 12.9 pp above median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 8.2 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $8,318
- Massachusetts median 0.86× the median ($9,649)
- New England median 0.90× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median 1.1× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $24,017
- Massachusetts median 2.1× the median ($11,192)
- New England median 2.4× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 3.3× 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.
Bard College at Simon's Rock at a glance
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bard College at Simon's Rock is a private non-profit institution in Great Barrington, MA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Medical Schools and Centers.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal StudiesPsychology, GeneralArt History, Criticism and Conservation
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian37.3%Non-Resident Alien32.9%Race/ethnicity unknown10.7%
Schools near Bard College at Simon's Rock
Other campuses in Great Barrington, MA when available, plus nearby institutions in Massachusetts.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Massachusetts, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bard College at Simon's Rock located?
Bard College at Simon's Rock is located in Great Barrington, MA.
What is Bard College at Simon's Rock's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Bard College at Simon's Rock is 95.9% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 179 applicants and 174 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Bard College at Simon's Rock's tuition?
Bard College at Simon's Rock tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $68,780 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $31,625 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Bard College at Simon's Rock cost?
Reported tuition is $68,780 and average net price is $31,625 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $18,852 annually.
Why is Bard College at Simon's Rock's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Bard College at Simon's Rock, published tuition is $68,780 while average net price is $31,625—about 54% 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 Bard College at Simon's Rock's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($31,625), completion (68.3% 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 Bard College at Simon's Rock?
Bard College at Simon's Rock reports undergraduate enrollment of about 390 students, White (37.3%), Non-Resident Alien (32.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Bard College at Simon's Rock?
About 12.2% of students at Bard College at Simon's Rock are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Bard College at Simon's Rock earn?
Median earnings are $31,072 six years after entry and $46,543 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Bard College at Simon's Rock?
The 150%-time completion rate is 68.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Bard College at Simon's Rock students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $24,254.
Is Bard College at Simon's Rock public or private?
Bard College at Simon's Rock is a private nonprofit institution located in Great Barrington, 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
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.