A Private College for the Public Good Bard College seeks to inspire curiosity, a love of learning, idealism, and a commitment to the link between higher education and civic participation.
Photo by Karl Rabe
Academics
Academics at Bard focus on giving students a strong scholarly foundation with our core curriculum, then encouraging them to explore individual academic interests. The College seeks to inspire curiosity, a love of learning, idealism, and a commitment to the link between higher education and civic participation. Close contact with scholars who are teachers but also active in their disciplines is a constant, and the level of academic discourse in the classroom is high. The College provides a beautiful setting in which students pursue their academic interests and craft a rich cultural and social life.
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.
“At Bard, we show up. We build, paint, dig, teach, play, sing, sweat. We show up in the middle of the night, work in the rain, crawl under the car, whatever it takes. This does not mean erasing the self. It means struggling with the tension between self and collective interests, and then acting compassionately.” —Paul Marienthal, Dean for Social Action; Director, Trustee Leader Scholar Program
Watch: Annie, a premed biology major at Bard, explores the Reem-Kayden Center for Science and Computation.
Campus Life
The focus of student life at Bard College, both inside and outside the classroom, 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.
We embrace plurality, respect divergent viewpoints, and are committed to understanding the rich spectrum of experiences that comprise our community. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Bard seeks to materialize our commitment to plurality, dialogue, and rigorous study. We strive to create a learning environment that upholds the College’s mission to meaningfully include the voices, works, and ideas of communities and cultures historically marginalized in liberal arts and sciences education.
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 same high-level arts instruction and engagement; the discipline of cultivating one’s artistic abilities has wide-ranging collateral benefits.
Manuel Borja-Villel to Receive Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. CCS Bard Alum Carla Acevedo-Yates ’14 Is Recipient of Inaugural Scott Lorinsky Alumni Award
The Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) announces internationally renowned art historian and curator Manuel Borja-Villel as the 2024 recipient of the Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. In addition, CCS Bard announces the inaugural Scott Lorinsky Alumni Award recognizing an outstanding graduate for sustained innovation and engagement in exhibition making, public education, research, and a commitment to the field. CCS Bard Alum Carla Acevedo-Yates (2014) will be the first recipient to receive the newly created award. More >
New York Times Opinion: “Early College Is the Equalizer We Need,” Writes John McWhorter SR ’83
Renowned linguist and Bard College at Simon’s Rock alumnus John McWhorter SR ’83 calls the Bard High School Early Colleges in Manhattan and Queens “sterling examples” of a tuition-free early college model that, given the high college graduation rates of Bard Early College students, is “an equalizing tool for teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds.” More >
