Cornell College vs Bard College

Cornell College and Bard College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Cornell, nestled in the heart of Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Bard, located in the vibrant Hudson Valley of New York, attracts a diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Cornell is known for its strong programs in natural sciences and mathematics, while Bard emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and the arts. With comparable graduation rates, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these colleges' unique offerings and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bard College	Cornell College
Overview
Location	Annandale-On-Hudson, New York	Mount Vernon, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	78.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.9%	81.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65	$30
SAT range	N/A	1155 - 1405
ACT range	N/A	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		28.0%
Students submitting ACT score		58.0%
Total number of applicants	5,167	2,836
Total number of admissions given out	3,096	2,300
Admitted students who chose to enroll	473	366
Yield rate	15.3%	15.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$72,868	$62,735
Average net price	$24,318	$22,667
Tuition	$57,498	$47,100
Room & board	$16,760	Room/dormitory: $4,868 Meal plan: $5,688
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $50,598	100.0% Average amount $37,745
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,101	57.0% Average amount $5,607
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $16,225	16.0% Average amount $9,357

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,171 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%	1,046 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%
Graduate students	420 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%	9 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	14.7%	3.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,400	1,060
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Business Education Natural Resources and Conservation	Business Visual & Performing Arts Foreign Languages and Literatures Social Sciences Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	63.8%
Dropout rate	9.9%	10.9%
Transferred out	18.3%	25.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,261 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,624 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,818 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,518 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,944 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,353 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,051 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,721 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $40,862 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,040 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $38,658 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,951 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,103 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,478 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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