NEW YORK, March 24, 2020 — In another record-breaking year, Barnard College received 9,411 applications — an increase of approximately 60% over the past five years — and admitted 1,022 young women to the Class of 2024. Newly admitted students hail from 51 states and territories, as well as from 32 countries; 18% identify as first-generation college students and 62% identify as women of color, making this Barnard’s most selective and diverse admitted class in its history. Twelve percent have a family member who is a Barnard alumna.
“We are continually impressed by the young women who apply to Barnard, and this year is no exception,” said Jennifer Fondiller, Vice President for Enrollment. “These students embody the Barnard ethos — brilliant, bold, and engaged with their communities — and are eager to take advantage of our world-class faculty, leadership initiatives and unique opportunities. Living in New York City also provides our students with access to a wealth of research and internships, which facilitates a deeper connection to their fields of study.”
President Sian Leah Beilock is committed to continuously building upon Barnard’s well-known eminence in the arts, social sciences, and humanities, as well as growing the College’s offerings in STEM. In addition to joining a diverse intellectual community at one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges for women, students who enroll in the fall may also earn a bachelor’s degree from Barnard and a master’s degree from Columbia University in just five years through the College’s growing number of “4+1” pathways for accelerated graduate study.
Newly admitted students will also have access to Beyond Barnard, a program launched in 2018 by President Beilock that helps students and alumnae achieve academic and professional success both before and long after graduation. In its two-year history, Beyond Barnard has built a mentorship network for more than 1,500 alumnae and students, and assisted the Classes of 2018 and 2019, more than 90% of whom have secured full-time employment or enrollment in graduate programs. Students can also take advantage of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning, which opened in fall 2018 and offers research experiences in computational science, empirical reasoning, digital humanities, design, movement and media. Through the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, student athletes have the opportunity to compete at the only women’s college to offer NCAA Division I athletics.
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About Barnard
Barnard provides a singular educational experience, as a world-renowned college focused on excellence across the arts and sciences, with all the academic resources of Columbia University and the City of New York as an extended classroom. Founded in 1889, Barnard was one of the few colleges in the nation where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. Today, Barnard is one of the most selective academic institutions in the country and remains devoted to empowering extraordinary women to become even more exceptional. For more information on Barnard College, contact Barnard Media Relations at 212-854-2037 or mediarelations@barnard.edu. To learn more, follow Barnard on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.