Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 56/100

Longy School of Music of Bard College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Cambridge, Massachusetts

About Longy School of Music of Bard College

Thinking about Longy School of Music of Bard College, a college in Massachusetts where more students graduate in Visual & Performing Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Longy School of Music of Bard College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It enrolls 10 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
71.2%
Net Price
$38,530
Median Earnings (10yr)
$46,543
Enrollment
10
Student : Faculty
3:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 73
Value 9
Affordability 3
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Longy School of Music of Bard College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Longy School of Music of Bard College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 11.4 pts since 2019
73%201990%202089.2%202189%202284.4%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $38,530 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$38,530
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
6%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
12%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$55,275
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,738
Books & Supplies
$500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$72,450

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$5,500
10% percentile
$10,250
25% percentile
$24,254
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$28,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,000 ↓ $5,254
No Pell $18,876 ↓ $5,378
Dependent students $19,000 ↓ $5,254
Independent students $15,160 ↓ $9,094
Female students $16,500 ↓ $7,754
Male students $19,500 ↓ $4,754
Pell recipients: 17.6% (4,265 students)No Pell: 17.5% (4,238 students)Dependent students: 17.6% (4,265 students)Independent students: 14.0% (3,403 students)Female students: 15.3% (3,704 students)Male students: 18.0% (4,378 students)Overall Median$24,254
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $12,000, less than completers ($24,254), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

71% of students who start here finish within six years, and 66% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
71%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
66%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $46,543 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$46,543
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$30,000$35,000$40,000$45,000$50,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$40,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$48,400

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$41,800

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$47,400

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,600, about 16% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 9.3 pts across 6 years
79.6%1yr83.9%3yr89.1%5yr89%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 89% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 10 students, an intimate, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
10
Part-Time
20%
First-Generation
12%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
International 70.0% 7
White 20.0% 2
Asian 10.0% 1
International: 70.0% (7 students)White: 20.0% (2 students)Asian: 10.0% (1 students)Total10

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Longy School of Music of Bard College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Cambridge, Massachusetts
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
12% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Branch campus

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Longy School of Music of Bard College offers a focused set of programs: 5 distinct programs across 2 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
  • Music $43K ($26K–$59K)
  • Music $43K ($26K–$59K)
  • Music $43K ($26K–$59K)

Faculty & Resources

There are 3 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
3:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$24M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$51,573
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

9 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 9 100% $51,573

Pros & Cons of Longy School of Music of Bard College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Longy School of Music of Bard College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Above-average graduation rate
CONS
  • High net price compared to most US colleges
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
  • Most students don't qualify for need-based federal aid
Best for: Based on the data, Longy School of Music of Bard College is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Longy School of Music of Bard College

The questions families ask most about Longy School of Music of Bard College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Longy School of Music of Bard College cost?
Budget around $38,530 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Longy School of Music of Bard College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $46,543 a year against a net price of $38,530, about 1.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Longy School of Music of Bard College known for?
Mostly Music, Teaching Specific Subjects, Music. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Longy School of Music of Bard College graduates earn?
About $46,543 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Longy School of Music of Bard College accredited?
Yes. Longy School of Music of Bard College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Longy School of Music of Bard College?
10 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Longy School of Music of Bard College?
71% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Longy School of Music of Bard College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Longy School of Music of Bard College located?
Longy School of Music of Bard College is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What programs does Longy School of Music of Bard College offer?
5 different programs, most commonly Music, Teaching Specific Subjects, Music. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Longy School of Music of Bard College?
3 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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