Wesleyan University vs Bard College

Nestled in the heart of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, and Bard College, located in the picturesque Hudson Valley of New York, stand out as two exceptional liberal arts institutions. While they share a commitment to academic excellence and fostering intellectual curiosity, they offer distinct experiences for their students. Wesleyan, with its rigorous curriculum and vibrant campus life, boasts a highly selective admissions process, resulting in a lower acceptance rate compared to Bard. In contrast, Bard's open curriculum and emphasis on interdisciplinary studies attract a diverse student body, reflected in its higher acceptance rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bard College	Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Annandale-On-Hudson, New York	Middletown, Connecticut
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
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%	95.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.9%	19.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65	$55
SAT range	N/A	1300 - 1510
ACT range	N/A	31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		51.0%
Students submitting ACT score		27.0%
Total number of applicants	5,167	13,067
Total number of admissions given out	3,096	2,540
Admitted students who chose to enroll	473	910
Yield rate	15.3%	35.8%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$72,868	$82,245
Average net price	$24,318	$20,535
Tuition	$57,498	$61,449
Room & board	$16,760	$17,531
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	40.0% Average amount $58,925
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,101	18.0% Average amount $3,834
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $16,225	2.0% Average amount $27,881

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,171 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%	3,385 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students	420 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%	196 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	90.3%
International students	14.7%	11.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,400	3,063
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York California Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Business Education Natural Resources and Conservation	Social Sciences Psychology Ethnic Studies Visual & Performing Arts Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	91.0%
Dropout rate	9.9%	3.6%
Transferred out	18.3%	5.3%
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	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $53,847 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,232 Year 2: $36,334 Year 3: $45,541

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