Bard Early College

In 2001, Bard Early College (formerly Bard High School Early College) was born from a partnership between Bard College and the New York City Department of Education. A network of Bard College satellite campuses, Bard Early College (BEC) offers ambitious, advanced teenagers an alternative to a traditional high school education. Over the course of four years, tuition-free, BEC students earn both a high school diploma and a Bard College associate's degree. The school's curriculum encourages students to engage in critical thinking, inquiry, and analytical writing. Students complete structured and rigorous high school coursework during the ninth and 10th grades, and an interdisciplinary college program in the 11th and 12th grades. While immersing themselves in this advanced academic curriculum, students participate in a wide variety of student-led social and cultural organizations, athletics, and school publications. Ninety-five percent of students who graduate from BEC enroll in a four-year college, making the school a compelling example of successful public education reform.