Editing Barnard College (section)

== Academics ==
Barnard students are able to pursue a [[bachelor of arts]] degree in about 50 areas of study.<ref name="ataglance">{{cite web |url=http://admissions.barnard.edu/about/at-a-glance |title=Barnard at a Glance |publisher=Barnard College |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803173349/http://admissions.barnard.edu/about/at-a-glance |archive-date=August 3, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Joint programs for the [[bachelor of science]] and other degrees exist with Columbia University, [[Juilliard School]], and the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America|Jewish Theological Seminary]]. The most popular majors at the college by 2021 graduates were:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Barnard&s=all&id=189097#programs |website=nces.ed.gov |publisher=U.S. Dept of Education |title=Barnard College |access-date=January 24, 2023}}</ref>
::Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (62)
::Research and Experimental Psychology (56)
::History (43)
::English Language and Literature (39)
::Political Science and Government (36)
::Neuroscience (33)
::Art History, Criticism and Conservation (33)

The liberal arts general education requirements are collectively called Foundations. Students must take two courses in the sciences (one of which must be accompanied by a laboratory course), study a single foreign language for two semesters, and take two courses in the arts/humanities as well as two in the social sciences. In addition, students must complete at least one three-credit course in the so-called "Modes of Thinking" series, and fulfill other requirements.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/curriculum/requirements-liberal-arts-degree/foundations/ |title=Foundations {{!}} Barnard College |website=barnard.edu |access-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-date=November 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113015130/http://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/curriculum/requirements-liberal-arts-degree/foundations/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Admissions ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:85%; margin:10px; text-align:center; font-size:85%; margin:auto;"
|+Enrolled first-year student statistics
|-
!&nbsp;
!2022<ref name="Barnard College">{{cite web |title=Barnard College Admits 1,084 To the Class of 2025 |url=https://barnard.edu/news/barnard-college-admits-1084-class-2025 |access-date=March 30, 2020 |publisher=Barnard College |language=en |archive-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401195555/https://barnard.edu/news/barnard-college-admits-1084-class-2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
!2021<ref name="Barnard College" />
!2020<ref name="Barnard College" />
!2019<ref name="CDS-C">{{cite web |title=Barnard College Common Data Set 2019–2020, Part C |url=https://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/CDS_2019-2020_completed.pdf |access-date=April 29, 2020 |publisher=Barnard College |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001134326/https://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/CDS_2019-2020_completed.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
!2018<ref>{{cite web |title=Barnard College Common Data Set 2018–2019, Part C |url=https://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/2018-2019%20Common%20Data%20Set_v2.pdf |access-date=April 29, 2020 |publisher=Barnard College |archive-date=January 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108111351/https://barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/2018-2019%20Common%20Data%20Set_v2.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|'''Applicants'''
|12,009
|10,395
|9,411
|9,320
|7,897
|-
|'''Admits'''
|NA
|1,084
|1,022
|1,097
|1,099
|-
|'''Admit rate'''
|6%
|10%
|10.8%
|11.8%
|13.9%
|-
|'''Enrolled'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|632
|605
|-
|'''SAT mid-50% range'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|1360–1500
|1330–1500
|-
|''' ACT mid-50% range'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|31–34
|30–33
|}

Admissions to Barnard are considered "most selective" by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/barnard-college-2708 |title=Barnard College – Profile, Rankings and Data |access-date=November 12, 2019 |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919043538/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/2708 |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> It is the most selective women's college in the nation;<ref name="Alix Pianin2">{{cite press release |url=https://barnard.edu/news/nations-top-womens-college-admits-most-selective-class-127-year-history |title=Nation's Top Women's College Admits Most Selective Class in 127 Year History |date=March 23, 2017 |publisher=Barnard College |access-date=December 6, 2017 |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207013336/https://barnard.edu/news/nations-top-womens-college-admits-most-selective-class-127-year-history |url-status=unfit}}</ref> in 2017, Barnard had the lowest acceptance rate of the five [[Seven Sisters (colleges)|Seven Sisters]] that remain single-sex in admissions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/2708 |title=Rankingsandreviews.com |publisher=Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919043538/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/2708 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The class of 2026's admission rate was 8% of the 12,009 applicants, the lowest acceptance rate in the institution's history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sentner |first=Irie |title=Barnard Accepts Record-Low 8 Percent of Applicants to Its Most Diverse Class Ever – Columbia Spectator |url=https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2022/03/30/barnard-accepts-record-low-8-percent-of-applicants-to-its-most-diverse-class-ever/ |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=Columbia Daily Spectator |archive-date=April 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402110956/https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2022/03/30/barnard-accepts-record-low-8-percent-of-applicants-to-its-most-diverse-class-ever/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The median SAT composite score of enrolled students was 1440, with median subscores of 720 in Math and 715 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.<ref name=CDS-C/> The median ACT Composite score was 33.<ref name=CDS-C/>

In 2015, Barnard announced that it would admit transgender women who "consistently live and identify as women, regardless of the gender assigned to them at birth" and would continue to support and enroll those students who transitioned to male after they had already been admitted.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/06/04/pf/college/barnard-college-transgender-admissions/index.html |title=Barnard College Will Now Accept Transgender Women |date=June 4, 2015 |work=CNN |access-date=August 2, 2020 |archive-date=September 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922124125/https://money.cnn.com/2015/06/04/pf/college/barnard-college-transgender-admissions/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The college practices [[need-blind admission]] for domestic first-year applicants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barnard Fin Aid |url=http://barnard.edu/admissions/paying |publisher=Barnard College |access-date=May 3, 2023 |archive-date=October 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004100145/http://barnard.edu/admissions/paying |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Rankings ===
{{Infobox US university ranking
| Forbes = 73 of 500
| USNWR_LA = 14 (tie) of 211
| THE_WSJ = 50 of 600
| Wamo_LA = 63 of 194
}}

In 2025, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranked Barnard as tied at 14th of 211 U.S. liberal arts colleges overall. Barnard was tied for 30th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching," among U.S. liberal arts colleges by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/barnard-college-2708/overall-rankings |title=Barnard College Rankings |year=2024 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=September 20, 2022 |archive-date=January 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130045625/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/barnard-college-2708/overall-rankings |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Barnard 73rd of 500 colleges in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/barnard-college/?list=top-colleges |magazine=Forbes |title=America's Top Colleges |date=August 15, 2019 |access-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731165448/https://www.forbes.com/colleges/barnard-college/?list=top-colleges |url-status=live}}</ref>  In 2024, ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' ranked Barnard 63rd among 194 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking |url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2024-college-guide/liberal-arts/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Washington Monthly |language=en-US}}</ref>