Social Sciences at Bard College

Bard College's Social Sciences bachelor's produces troublingly low earnings: just $23,302 one year after graduation, which falls in the bottom 10% of New York programs and the bottom 5% nationally. This is particularly striking given Bard's selective profile (SAT average of 1387) and the opportunity cost of attending. Graduates earn $12,300 less than the New York state median for this degree and $14,000 less than the national average—meaningful gaps that persist even accounting for geographic differences or career path choices.

The debt load itself isn't outrageous at $24,747, slightly below state and national benchmarks. But paired with such meager first-year earnings, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06 means graduates face nearly a full year's salary in loans. To put this in perspective, social sciences graduates from NYU earn more than double ($49,016), while even less selective New York schools like Mercy University produce median earnings of $36,726—over 50% higher than Bard.

For a family paying private college tuition, these outcomes represent a serious value disconnect. The robust sample size (100+ graduates) confirms this isn't a statistical fluke. Unless your child has specific reasons to attend Bard—such as substantial financial aid that reduces actual costs below public alternatives—the combination of premium tuition and bottom-tier earnings makes this program difficult to justify financially. SUNY schools or CUNY options would likely deliver better economic returns for a social sciences degree.