Head-to-head comparison
Bard College vs The Juilliard School: 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 New York, NY
The Juilliard School
- Net price / year
- $43,571
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,827
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bard College comes closer — median earnings $46,543 against a $138,596 total, vs $37,827 at The Juilliard School. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bard College | The Juilliard School |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $34,649 | $43,571 |
| Total net cost | $138,596 | $174,284 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,543 | $37,827 |
| Median debt | $24,254 | $25,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$174,936 | -$384,944 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bard College or The Juilliard School?
Bard College, at $34,649 a year after aid versus $43,571 — a gap of $8,922 a year, or $35,688 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 The Juilliard School graduates earn more?
Bard College graduates report a median $46,543 ten years after entry, $8,716 more than the $37,827 at The Juilliard School. 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 The Juilliard School?
Bard College: its completers carry a median $24,254 in federal loans versus $25,500 at The Juilliard School, a difference of $1,246. 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?
93% of students finish at The Juilliard School, against 68% at Bard 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.