Bard College vs. Marist College vs. Vassar

Should I go to Bard College or Marist College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bard College or Marist College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Bard College vs. Marist College vs. Vassar College comparison
Bard College Marist College Vassar College College 4
Bard College Marist College Vassar College
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Overview

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Location Annandale-On-Hudson, NY Poughkeepsie, NY Poughkeepsie, NY
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,922 6,452 2,456
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #180 #217 #46
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website bard.edu marist.edu vassar.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Tuition (In State) $62,790 $45,330 $66,870
Tuition (Out of State) $62,790 $45,330 $66,870
Room & Board $18,040 $17,710 $17,415
Avg Net Price $25,218 $40,106 $29,733
Avg Grant Aid $56,380 $23,836 $53,840
% Receiving Grant Aid 77% 97% 58%

Admission

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Applied 6,628 10,224 12,145
Admitted 3,466 6,616 2,153
Acceptance Rate 52.3% 64.7% 17.7%
Enrolled % 11.6% 19.5% 32%
Avg High School GPA - 3.56 3.86
Typical High School Grades - B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Low Low Very High
ACT Range 30/32 27/30 33/35
SAT Range 1290/1440 1220/1360 1435/1550
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Feb 15, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (23%)
  • English and Literature (14%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Communication (16%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)

Outcomes

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Graduation Rate 76% 80% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,600 $59,000 $58,400
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 80% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,194 $26,000 $15,780
Median Loan Payment $270 $268 $163

Diversity

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
% Men 6% 6% 0%
% Women 10% 8% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Low High
HBCU No No No
% White 63% 78% 59%
% Black 8% 4% 5%
% Hispanic 1% 9% 11%
% Native American 1% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2% 6%
% International 10% 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 11% 2% 0%

Students

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
% In-State 31% 44% 28%
% Out-of-State 59% 54% 64%

Campus

 Bard College Marist College Vassar
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes No
Daycare Facility No No Yes
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Marist College is larger than than Bard College based on total student enrollment (6,452 students vs. 2,922 students)

Bard College vs. Marist College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bard College or Marist College?

  • Bard College is 38.5% more expensive to attend than Marist College for in-state tuition ($62,790.00 vs. $45,330.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.5% higher at Bard College than Marist College ($62,790.00 vs. $45,330.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bard College than Marist College ($25,218 vs. $40,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Marist College are 1.9% lower than costs at Bard College ($17,710 vs. $18,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Marist College than Bard College (97% vs. 77%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bard College students is 136.5% larger than aid received Marist College ($56,380 vs. $23,836)

Bard College vs. Marist College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bard College or Marist College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Marist College or Bard College .

  • Marist College has a higher acceptance rate (64.7%) than Bard College (52.3%)

Bard College vs. Marist College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bard College or Marist College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Marist College and Bard College.

  • The graduation rate at Marist College is higher than Bard College (80% vs. 76%)
  • Graduates from Marist College earn on average $17,400 more per year than Bard College graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $41,600)
  • Marist College students graduate with a $194 lower median federal student loan debt than Bard College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,194)
  • Marist College graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Bard College graduates. ($268 vs. $270)
  • More Bard College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Marist College students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/