Bard College at Simons Rock

Bard College at Simons Rock is an early college based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where students begin college after the 9th, 10th, or 11th grade rather than following a conventional four-year high school path. Founded in 1966, it was the first early college in the United States and now operates as part of Bard College. Its academic model centers on a liberal arts and sciences curriculum delivered on a residential campus in the Berkshires, with students earning an Associate of Arts degree after two years and the option to continue into a bachelor’s program. The institution serves younger-than-typical college students who are ready for advanced study and a seminar-based academic environment. Simons Rock also extends its model beyond Massachusetts through Bard Academy at Simons Rock, a two-year boarding school for 9th and 10th graders, and through Bard High School Early Colleges in other locations, which reflect the broader early college mission associated with Bard. On its Massachusetts campus, students study in small classes and engage directly with faculty in disciplines across the humanities, social sciences, arts, and sciences. Bard College at Simons Rock combines degree-granting higher education with a distinctive pathway for adolescents seeking accelerated entry into college. Its work is defined by early access to college-level study, residential liberal arts education, and support for students whose academic development does not fit the standard secondary-school timeline. The college’s identity is closely tied to Great Barrington and the Berkshires while also holding a national place in the development of the early college movement.