Elite women's liberal arts college in Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University since 1889.
Barnard offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in approximately 50 areas of study, with popular majors including econometrics, psychology, history, English, political science, and neuroscience. The college maintains independent curricula and admissions while offering joint programs with Columbia University, Juilliard School, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Students must complete the Foundations general education requirements, including courses in sciences, foreign language, arts/humanities, and social sciences, plus 'Modes of Thinking' seminars. Barnard graduates receive Columbia diplomas signed by both presidents and are considered members of the Columbia Alumni Association.
Barnard is the most selective women's college in the nation, with a 6% acceptance rate for the class of 2026 (12,009 applicants). The median SAT composite score is 1440 (Math 720, Evidence-Based Reading & Writing 715); median ACT is 33. The college practices need-blind admission for domestic first-year applicants and admits transgender women who consistently identify as women. In 2015, Barnard announced support for transgender students and those who transition after admission.
The 4-acre campus is located in Morningside Heights between 116th and 120th Streets on Broadway, directly across from Columbia's main campus. Historic buildings include Milbank, Brinckerhoff, and Fiske Halls (1897–1898), Brooks Hall (1906–1908), Barnard Hall (1916), and Hewitt Hall (1926–1927). The Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning and Barnard Library serve the community. Student life includes 100+ organizations, theater and music groups, WBAR radio, the Barnard Bulletin magazine, and traditions like Midnight Breakfast, Big Sub, and Take Back the Night. The college maintains the Francine LeFrak Center for Well-Being and offers residential housing on and off campus.
Barnard is both an independently incorporated institution and an official college of Columbia University. The college maintains separate leadership, finances, and admissions while sharing sports teams with Columbia through the Columbia–Barnard Athletic Consortium (making Barnard the only women's college in NCAA Division I). Barnard students can access Columbia's libraries and cross-register for classes; Columbia students may participate in most Barnard organizations. Both institutions evaluate Barnard faculty for tenure, and Barnard graduates receive Columbia degrees written in Latin.
Barnard alumnae are leaders in science, medicine, law, politics, education, theater, and business. Graduates have received Emmy, Tony, Grammy, Academy, and Peabody awards; Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships; the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the National Medal of Science; and the Pulitzer Prize. Between 1920 and 1974, only Hunter College and UC Berkeley produced more women graduates who later earned doctorates.