Head-to-head comparison
SUNY at Purchase College vs Bard College: which has better ROI?
Option A Purchase, NY
SUNY at Purchase College
- Net price / year
- $18,913
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,092
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Bard College
- Net price / year
- $34,649
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,543
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but SUNY at Purchase College comes closer — median earnings $45,092 against a $75,652 total, vs $46,543 at Bard College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | SUNY at Purchase College | Bard College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $18,913 | $34,649 |
| Total net cost | $75,652 | $138,596 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $45,092 | $46,543 |
| Median debt | $21,067 | $24,254 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$141,012 | -$174,936 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, SUNY at Purchase College or Bard College?
SUNY at Purchase College, at $18,913 a year after aid versus $34,649 — a gap of $15,736 a year, or $62,944 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 SUNY at Purchase College or Bard College graduates earn more?
Bard College graduates report a median $46,543 ten years after entry, $1,451 more than the $45,092 at SUNY at Purchase 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, SUNY at Purchase College or Bard College?
SUNY at Purchase College: its completers carry a median $21,067 in federal loans versus $24,254 at Bard College, a difference of $3,187. 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 63% at SUNY at Purchase 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.