A private college in the public interest.
Bard College seeks to inspire curiosity, a love of learning, idealism, and a commitment to the link between higher education and civic participation.
Bard by the Numbers
Academics at Bard
Academics at Bard focus on giving students a strong scholarly foundation with our core curriculum, then encouraging them to explore individual academic interests.
In the classroom, the level of academic discourse is high, and students are in close contact with scholars who are active in their disciplines alongside teaching. The College provides a beautiful setting in which students pursue their academic interests and craft a rich cultural and social life.
Watch: Annie, a premed biology major at Bard, explores the Reem-Kayden Center for Science and Computation.
Campus Life
Inside and outside the classroom, the focus of student life at Bard College is on campus. From its historic Hudson Valley setting to its state-of-the-art science and arts facilities, the College offers an idyllic environment where students can enjoy a rich social life interwoven with their cultural and intellectual pursuits.
Photo by Jonatha Asiedu ’24
Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is at the core of Bard College’s institutional mission, reflecting the fundamental belief that higher education institutions can and should operate in the public interest. Bard uses its resources to develop partnerships that address local, national, and global problems, reach underserved populations, and tackle critical issues of education and public policy.
What’s New at Bard
July 24–August 2: Bard SummerScape Presents Richard Strauss’s Opera The Egyptian Helen in Rare, Lavish New Production by Christian Räth
As a highlight of the 2026 Bard SummerScape festival, the Fisher Center at Bard presents a rare, grand-scale new production of Richard Strauss’s epic, seldom-staged 1928 opera, The Egyptian Helen (“Die ägyptische Helena”).
2026 Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Bard Faculty Members
Fellowships were awarded to Bard College faculty Jacqueline Goss, professor of film and electronic arts, and Joseph Luzzi, Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature. MFA summer faculty James Hoff, Steve Reinke, and Kenneth Tam also received fellowships.
Bard College Awarded $1.35 Million Grant in Support of Humanities Curricular Innovation Project
The Mellon Foundation grant will fund Bard’s project, “The Uses and Abuses of History,” which responds to the rise of unreliable digital, social, and other media, heightened by the proliferation of AI-generated content, which not only threatens our ability to discern fact from fiction but confounds our claims to a shared humanity.
Photo by Chris Kayden
Arts at Bard
Bard College offers the best of both worlds: a traditional liberal arts college with exceptional programs in the fine and performing arts. In small classes taught by notable faculty, students work closely with top professionals in their fields. All students, whatever their major, are encouraged to take advantage of the College’s high-level arts programming and to cultivate their artistic abilities.
Upcoming Events
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4/30ThursdayEverything That Happens Will Happen Today: 2026 Graduate Student Curated Exhibitions 11:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Hessel Museum of Art, CCS Bard
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4/30ThursdayThe Bard College Dance Program Presents: Momentum
LUMA Theater
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Explore Bard
Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate students can earn a bachelor of arts degree in one of approximately 35 programs.
Graduate Programs
Bard’s Graduate Programs offer specialized study in human rights, environmental policy, and more.
Bard Early Colleges
Bard has been a national leader in early college education since 1979.
International Programs
Bard offers its students a wide range of opportunities to engage in international dialogue.
Bard Network
Bard envisions the liberal arts institution as the hub of a network that spans the globe.
GHEA21
Global Higher Education Alliance for the 21st Century is a network of diverse institutions committed to advancing access to liberal arts and sciences education.