Barnard SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1470 to 1560
Half of enrolled students at Barnard scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1560, and one quarter below 1470.
- Average composite
- 1520
- Acceptance rate
- 8.8%
- ACT range
- 32 to 34
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- New York, NY
- Undergraduates
- 3,264
Barnard SAT Scores and Admissions
The middle 50 percent of Barnard SAT scores runs from 1470 to 1560, with an average around 1520. Land anywhere inside that band and your score is doing its job: it matches what half of admitted students brought, so the rest of your application carries the decision. Barnard admits about 8.8% of applicants, which means a score in range is table stakes, not a ticket. The 2024-2025 federal data also shows an ACT middle 50 of 32 to 34, so the testing bar is high whichever exam you pick.
Barnard is a private nonprofit college in New York, NY, and it is small: about 3,264 students total. That scale changes the math. A school this size fills a short admit list from a deep applicant pool, so small score differences get noticed. The section splits tell you where the pressure sits. Reading and Writing runs 730 to 770 while Math runs 740 to 790, so admitted students tend to score slightly higher on Math, and a lopsided profile with a weak Math section will stand out in the wrong way. Barnard is test optional in the most recent federal data, but the students who do submit are clearly submitting strong numbers.
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Barnard SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at Barnard, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 730 | 770 |
| Math | 740 | 790 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1470 | 1560 |
The College Board reports section percentiles, not section averages, so an average is shown for the composite only.
Where this sits on the 400 to 1600 scale
1470 to 1560
Barnard Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into Barnard, measured against real enrolled student data instead of a made up percentage.
No SAT score yet? Take the diagnostic and get a real number in about 25 minutes.
How this calculator works: your SAT is compared with Barnard's reported middle 50 percent range from the federal College Scorecard, your GPA is compared with the range admitted students at similarly selective schools typically present, and both are weighed against the school's real acceptance rate. We do not print a made up percent chance. No calculator can see your essays, your course rigor, or your recommendations, and at selective schools those decide close calls. Treat this as an honest read of your academic position, not a prediction.
Chances of Getting Into Barnard by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at Barnard, based on its reported 1470 to 1560 middle 50 percent range. Find the row closest to your score, or use the calculator above for a read on your exact numbers. No made up percentages: each verdict is your real position in the enrolled class.
| SAT score | Where it lands | The honest read |
|---|---|---|
| 1320 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1320 is well below the 1470 to 1560 range at Barnard. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1420 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1420 falls just short of Barnard's 25th percentile of 1470. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1520 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1520 sits inside the 1470 to 1560 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. At this acceptance rate the score keeps you in the pool; the rest of the application decides. |
| 1560 | At the 75th percentile | A 1560 matches the 75th percentile at Barnard, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1590 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1590 beats the 75th percentile at Barnard. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to Barnard's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1470, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1560, the score that puts you in the top quarter. Here is the size of the jump from common starting points, with the step by step plan for each one.
| Starting score | To reach 1470 | To reach 1560 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +470 points | +560 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +370 points | +460 points | All score plans |
| 1200 | +270 points | +360 points | All score plans |
| 1300 | +170 points | +260 points | 1300 to 1600 plan |
| 1400 | +70 points | +160 points | 1400 to 1600 plan |
| 1500 | Already there | +60 points | 1500 to 1600 plan |
Not sure where you stand today? The diagnostic gives you a real starting score and a section breakdown in one sitting, so the gap you plan around is your actual gap.
What SAT Score Do You Need for Barnard?
Below 1470 at Barnard means you are behind 3 out of 4 admitted students on the one number that is easiest to compare. With an 8.8% admit rate, that is a real handicap, and since the school is test optional in the most recent federal data, a score under the 25th percentile is often better left unsubmitted. Inside 1470 to 1560 puts you in the middle half of the admitted class: the score neither helps nor hurts much, and essays, coursework, and recommendations decide the outcome. Above 1560 beats 3 out of 4 admits, which is as much as a test score can do for you at a school this selective.
Check your sections too. Math sets the higher bar here, 740 to 790 against 730 to 770 for Reading and Writing. A 790 Math with a 700 Reading and Writing still totals in range, but a Math score below 740 drags against the profile most Barnard admits show. If one section needs work, it is usually Math.
Barnard GPA Requirements
Admitted students at Barnard typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.9 to 4.0. At an 8.8% admit rate, transcripts near the top of the scale are the norm, and a semester of slipping grades is hard to hide. Expect the students you are compared against to have close to straight A records.
The number alone is not the whole story. Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the GPA itself, so an A in a demanding class signals more than a slightly higher average built on lighter coursework. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, the fastest offset is a strong SAT. Transcripts take years to move. A score can move in months, and a result at or above 1520, the Barnard average, gives the admissions reader a concrete reason to look past a few B grades. That trade is worth planning around early, while you still have test dates left.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at Barnard typically present a GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Nearly every admitted student carries an almost unbroken A record in the hardest courses their high school offers.
If your GPA sits at or below this range, a strong SAT score is the fastest way to stay competitive, since grades are hard to move late in high school. See where your SAT score really stands and build the plan around the gap.
These are unweighted grades on a 4.0 scale. A school that weights GPA or reports a different scale will show a higher number.
Barnard SAT Testing Policy
Barnard considered scores without requiring them (test optional) in the most recent federal data. Testing policies change year to year, so confirm the current 2026-2027policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit scores.
Should you submit your score?
Submit your score when it is at or above 1515, the middle of Barnard's range. If you are below 1470, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 15, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to Barnard?
Barnard was test optional in the most recent federal data, which turns your score into a strategic choice. The folk theory that applying without scores signals weakness is overstated, but the math of what helps is simple: a score that lands inside or above the admitted range works for you, and a score well below it does not.
1520+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1470 to 1520
Lean submit
Inside the range, most counselors say send it: you are within the profile of enrolled students, and holding it back leaves the reader guessing.
Below 1470
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at Barnard. Apply without it, or better, close the gap first. Scores can still matter for merit scholarships elsewhere on your list.
Policy as reported for the 2024-2025 cycle. We verified it against Barnard's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
Barnard ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at Barnard scored between 32 and 34 on the ACT, alongside the 1470 to 1560 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, Barnard states no preference between the two tests. The right move is to take whichever test converts higher for you, using the official concordance below, and send that one.
| ACT composite | SAT equivalent |
|---|---|
| 34 | 1490 to 1520 |
| 33 | 1450 to 1480 |
| 32 | 1420 to 1440 |
| 31 | 1390 to 1410 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside Barnard's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into Barnard
Set two concrete targets. First, 1470: at or above the 25th percentile keeps you in range and makes your score safe to submit. Second, 1560: at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of admitted students, which is where a score starts actively arguing for you at a school that turns away more than 9 out of 10 applicants. Between those two numbers, aim for the sections to land near 730 Reading and Writing and 740 Math or better, since those are the 25th percentile marks.
Work backward from your current score. Take a diagnostic to find out exactly where you stand against the 1470 floor, then use score plans to map the point gap to a week by week schedule. A 100 point gap and a 40 point gap call for very different plans, and guessing wastes test dates. Your next step: sit the diagnostic this week and get a real number to plan from.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Barnard?
Barnard admits about 88 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 3,264. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 912 of every 1,000 people who apply, the students who get in cluster at the top of every measurable scale.
For perspective against the country as a whole: Barnard's 25th percentile score of 1470 already beats roughly 97% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1560 sits around the 99th percentile. A score that feels middling on this page is an excellent score almost anywhere else, which is worth remembering when you build the rest of your list.
Colleges Similar to Barnard: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside Barnard, ordered by acceptance rate. Odds are compared on acceptance rate first, because a school with a lower SAT average can still be far harder to get into.
| School | SAT middle 50 percent | Acceptance rate | Odds vs Barnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard | 1470 to 1560 | 8.8% | This page |
| Cornell | 1500 to 1570 | 8.8% | Similar oddsSAT about 20 higher |
| NYU | 1480 to 1560 | 9.2% | Similar oddssimilar SAT range |
| Hamilton | 1450 to 1550 | 13.6% | Better odds than BarnardSAT about 15 lower |
| Vassar | 1450 to 1550 | 18.6% | Better odds than BarnardSAT about 15 lower |
| Binghamton | 1340 to 1500 | 38.6% | Better odds than BarnardSAT about 95 lower |
| Stony Brook | 1330 to 1500 | 49.0% | Better odds than BarnardSAT about 100 lower |
How Recent Are These Barnard SAT Scores?
Every score, rate, and enrollment figure on this page comes from the US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2024-2025 release, the same federal dataset colleges report into. Testing policy reflects the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This page was last reviewed July 15, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for Barnard disagree with each other more than you would expect, usually because a site is quoting an older class or an unlabeled estimate. We publish the reported number, label the vintage, and update when the source updates. We also cross checked Barnard's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
Barnard SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into Barnard?
Barnard's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1470 to 1560. Aim for at least 1470 to be competitive, and 1560 or higher to be a strong applicant. There is no hard cutoff, but a score in or above this range keeps your application in contention.
Is a 1470 a good SAT score for Barnard?
A 1470 sits at Barnard's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1470 to 1560. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1560 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at Barnard?
The average composite SAT score at Barnard is 1520. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1470 and 1560.
Does Barnard require SAT scores?
No. Barnard was test optional in the most recent federal data, so you can apply without SAT scores. Confirm the current 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit.
Is Barnard test optional for 2026-2027?
Barnard was test optional in the most recent federal data, meaning you could apply without scores. Policies change year to year, so verify the 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site.
What ACT score do you need for Barnard?
Barnard's middle 50 percent ACT range is 32 to 34. Aim for at least 32 to be competitive and 34 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at Barnard.
What GPA do you need to get into Barnard?
Admitted students at Barnard typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.9 to 4.0 range on the 4.0 scale, based on schools with a comparable acceptance rate. Grades earned in rigorous courses matter as much as the number itself, and a strong SAT score is the fastest way to offset a GPA at the lower edge of that range.
What is Barnard's acceptance rate?
Barnard admits about 8.8% of applicants, which makes it extremely selective. A strong SAT score helps your application stand out in a pool this competitive.
What are my chances of getting into Barnard?
Barnard admits about 8.8% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1470 to 1560 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.9 to 4.0. A score above 1560 puts you in the strongest quarter of the class on testing. Use the admissions calculator on this page to check your own SAT and GPA against Barnard's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for Barnard?
Focus your prep on the section costing you the most points, then follow a study plan built for your target score range. Cheetah Prep has step by step score plans for specific point jumps and unlimited practice questions with worked solutions.
Does Barnard superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and Barnard does not report this in the federal data. Check the school's admissions site for its current superscore policy, which tells you whether it combines your best section scores across test dates.
About this page: written and reviewed by the Cheetah Prep team. Last reviewed July 15, 2026.
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