Barnard College vs Smith College

Barnard College and Smith College, two esteemed liberal arts colleges for women, offer distinct educational experiences. Barnard, located in the heart of New York City, boasts an acceptance rate of 12%, while Smith, nestled in the vibrant town of Northampton, Massachusetts, has an acceptance rate of 29%. Both colleges excel in academics, with Barnard's popular majors including Economics, Psychology, and English, and Smith's strengths lying in Neuroscience, Economics, and Biological Sciences. While Barnard's student body is predominantly female, Smith's student body is more diverse, with a significant international student population. Barnard's graduation rate stands at 89%, while Smith's is slightly higher at 90%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, providing valuable insights into the unique offerings of each institution.
Barnard College logo

Barnard College

Smith College logo

Smith College

Overview

Location New York, New York Northampton, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 11.5% 29.9%
Application fees $75 $60
SAT range 1425 - 1550 1370 - 1530
ACT range 32 - 34 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 30.0% 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 20.0%
Total number of applicants 10,395 6,064
Total number of admissions given out 1,192 1,814
Admitted students who chose to enroll 769 676
Yield rate 64.5% 37.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,693 $68,128
Average net price $28,366 $29,569
Tuition $57,734 $55,830
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,206

Meal plan: $7,280
Room/dormitory: $9,700

Meal plan: $9,720
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

36.0%
Average amount $44,482
70.0%
Average amount $44,108
Students receiving federal student loan 32.0%
Average amount $1,946
35.0%
Average amount $3,560
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $13,974
5.0%
Average amount $8,280

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,043
Men 0.3% Women 99.7%
2,566
Men 0.1% Women 99.9%
Graduate students N/A 358
Men 16.2% Women 83.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 70.3% N/A
International students 12.6% 13.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,411 2,519
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Mississippi Texas Mississippi New York California Connecticut Maryland

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 91.0%
Dropout rate 2.7% 3.6%
Transferred out 4.3% 5.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,217
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $87,791
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,807
  • Year 2: $47,846
  • Year 3: $67,484
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,701
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $60,852
Urban Studies/Affairs (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,271
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $55,821
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,646
  • Year 3: $53,521
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $52,302
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,848
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,891
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,983
  • Year 2: $39,648
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,340
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,675
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,496
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $70,990
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $56,651
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,011
  • Year 2: $45,554
  • Year 3: $53,962
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,620
  • Year 3: $53,886
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $48,619
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,776
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $43,120
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,839
  • Year 3: $41,147
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,006
  • Year 2: $18,566
  • Year 3: $41,145
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,954
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $40,411
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,603
  • Year 3: $38,497

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