Four characteristics distinguish Barnard College: It is a liberal arts college with a long tradition of excellence; it is part of a great research university; it is in New York City, and it is a college for women. Each aspect of the College offers students unique distinctive learning opportunities. The effect is transformative.

Enrolled at Barnard are 2,389 undergraduates from throughout the nation, 48 states and 39 countries, who take degrees in about 50 fields in the humanities, social sciences, arts, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary areas. Thirteen percent of Barnard students are African-American or Latina. Seventeen percent are Asian. The College is known for the achievement of its graduates. In recent years, Barnard has ranked third among more than 1,000 undergraduate colleges for the number of graduates who earned Ph.D.'s between 1920 and 1995; first among graduates of chemistry programs who go on to teach chemistry at the college level; and its 29,000 graduates have written and edited over 4,100 books and earned seven Pulitzer Prizes.