Simon's Rock at Bard College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Simon's Rock at Bard College charges a net price of $31,625/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $63,250. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,543, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Simon's Rock at Bard College does not clear its cost — it ranks #120 of 203 New York colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $31,625/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $63,250 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $46,543 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$1,817/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $24,254 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$99,590 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Simon's Rock at Bard College's own numbers. Net price $31,625 × 2 years = $63,250 total. Median earnings $46,543 fall $1,817 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $63,250 bill in about 6.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Simon's Rock at Bard College students graduate with?
A median $24,254 in federal loans among completers, or 52% of the $46,543 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Simon's Rock at Bard College students graduate?
68% finish their degree — 32% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $63,250 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $93,015 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Simon's Rock at Bard College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $31,625 net price runs $12,712 above the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, or $25,424 more across the full degree.