What a great day to be a Bear!

At 7 pm EDT on March 30, Barnard released admissions decisions for the Class of 2026. In addition to being Barnard’s most selective class to date, the Class of 2026 also happens to be the most diverse. 

The College received a record-breaking number of applications, totaling 12,009, which marks a 16% percent increase from the number of applications submitted last year. With an acceptance rate of just 8%, this year marks the first time in Barnard’s history that its acceptance rate has dipped below 10%. Barnard Communications attributes a significant amount of interest from applicants to the College’s Year of Science campaign. 

In terms of diversity, 66% of newly admitted students identify as people of color. A total of 36 countries and 46 states and territories are represented amongst the admits. Approximately 10% of the admits are international, and 21% are first-generation students. Additionally, this was the first year that students were admitted to Barnard through its partnership with QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization that connects first-generation and low-income students with full-ride scholarships at participating colleges and universities. This year, Barnard admitted 41 applicants through QuestBridge.

Congratulations to the newly-admitted Class of 2026! Welcome to Barnard! We’re so excited to meet you.

Barnard Gates via Bwog Archives