Head-to-head comparison
Bard College vs Columbia-Greene Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Bard College
- Net price / year
- $34,649
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,543
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Hudson, NY
Columbia-Greene Community College
- Net price / year
- $6,559
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,441
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Columbia-Greene Community College comes closer — median earnings $44,441 against a $13,118 total, vs $46,543 at Bard College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bard College | Columbia-Greene Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $34,649 | $6,559 |
| Total net cost | $138,596 | $13,118 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,543 | $44,441 |
| Median debt | $24,254 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,936 | -$91,498 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bard College or Columbia-Greene Community College?
Columbia-Greene Community College, at $6,559 a year after aid versus $34,649 — a gap of $28,090 a year, or $125,478 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Bard College or Columbia-Greene Community College graduates earn more?
Bard College graduates report a median $46,543 ten years after entry, $2,102 more than the $44,441 at Columbia-Greene Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Bard College or Columbia-Greene Community College?
Columbia-Greene Community College: its completers carry a median $12,000 in federal loans versus $24,254 at Bard College, a difference of $12,254. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
68% of students finish at Bard College, against 46% at Columbia-Greene Community College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.