Barnard vs. Columbia vs. Illinois vs. Wisconsin

Should I go to Barnard College or Columbia University in the City of New York? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Barnard or Columbia 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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Barnard College vs. Columbia University in the City of New York vs. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign vs. University of Wisconsin Madison comparison
Barnard College Columbia University in the City of New York University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign University of Wisconsin Madison
Barnard College Columbia University in the City of New York University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign University of Wisconsin Madison
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Overview

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Location New York, NY New York, NY Champaign, IL Madison, WI
Setting Large City Large City Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 3,353 35,279 56,563 49,605
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #34 #22 #120 #110
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website barnard.edu columbia.edu illinois.edu wisc.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Tuition (In State) $64,078 $65,340 $12,712 $9,644
Tuition (Out of State) $64,078 $65,340 $31,208 $39,042
Room & Board $20,582 $16,800 $13,938 $13,500
Avg Net Price $27,738 $20,869 $14,297 $14,216
Avg Grant Aid $56,190 $65,173 $17,524 $11,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 48% 52% 48% 49%

Admission

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Applied 11,803 57,613 67,398 63,505
Admitted 940 2,439 29,446 27,529
Acceptance Rate 8% 4.2% 43.7% 40.8%
Enrolled % 75.6% 63.1% 28.3% 27%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 3.91 3.79 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme Low Low
ACT Range 32/34 34/35 29/34 28/32
SAT Range 1453/1550 1490/1570 1270/1510 1360/1510
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) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 4, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 5, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 6:1 20:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • History (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Graduation Rate 92% 93% 82% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,900 $107,600 $66,500 $64,800
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 76% 78% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,847 $21,500 $20,500 $22,250
Median Loan Payment $184 $222 $211 $230

Diversity

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
% Men 1% 33% 21% 12%
% Women 3% 42% 16% 14%
Racial Diversity High Very High Very High Low
HBCU No No No No
% White 53% 38% 48% 76%
% Black 7% 8% 6% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 13% 10% 5%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5% 3% 3%
% International 8% 15% 16% 8%
% Unknown Race 0% 3% 1% 0%

Students

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
% In-State 28% 19% 73% 48%
% Out-of-State 60% 64% 12% 44%

Campus

 Barnard Columbia Illinois Wisconsin
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility No No Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than Barnard based on total student enrollment (35,279 students vs. 3,353 students)

Barnard vs. Columbia Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barnard or Columbia?

  • Columbia University in the City of New York is 2% more expensive to attend than Barnard for in-state tuition ($65,340.00 vs. $64,078.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2% higher at Columbia than Barnard College ($65,340.00 vs. $64,078.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia University in the City of New York than Barnard ($20,869 vs. $27,738)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia University in the City of New York are 22.5% lower than costs at Barnard College ($16,800 vs. $20,582)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia University in the City of New York than Barnard College (52% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 16% larger than aid received Barnard College ($65,173 vs. $56,190)

Barnard vs. Columbia Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 116 points higher than at Barnard (1357)
  • Incoming Columbia students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Barnard (31)
  • Accepted freshman Columbia students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Barnard (3.85)
  • Barnard has a higher acceptance rate (8%) than Columbia (4.2%)

Barnard vs. Columbia Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Barnard or Columbia? 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 Columbia and Barnard.

  • The graduation rate at Columbia is higher than Barnard College (93% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn on average $40,700 more per year than Barnard graduates after ten years. ($107,600 vs. $66,900)
  • Barnard College students graduate with a $3,653 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($17,847 vs. $21,500)
  • Barnard graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($184 vs. $222)
  • More Barnard graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 76%)

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