Acceptance Rate
7%
Avg. SAT
1550
75th percentile
“Bowdoin College turns Maine's biting coastal winds into a launchpad for polar explorers, policy wonks, and outdoor philosophers who crave tight-knit intellectual camaraderie.”
Brunswick, ME
Location
Town
Campus Setting
You'll step into Bowdoin College, founded in 1794 amid post-Revolutionary fervor by James Bowdoin III—a merchant who lost two sons to Harvard and wanted a staunchly Congregationalist alternative to its perceived Unitarian drift. This legacy shapes a fiercely independent liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine, where the student body of under 2,000 thrives on Maine's rugged individualism: think collaborative yet competitive types who hike Acadia on weekends, debate policy over lobster rolls, and embrace the cold as character-building fuel. The school's personality radiates understated New England grit—modest brick buildings hugging a quad lined with ancient elms, far from urban distractions but a quick Amtrak ride to Boston. Tradeoffs hit hard: Brunswick's sleepy fringe-town vibe (population 15,000) means limited nightlife and brutal winters that bury cars in snow, alienating city kids or sun-seekers who need constant stimulation.
Photo Gallery
+30
+22
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Bowdoin's intimate classrooms, where a 9:1 student-faculty ratio ensures professors remember your name and invite you to their Maine cabins for reading groups, you'll dive into small seminars that spark lively debates rather than lectures. The government and legal studies department stands out, churning out Rhodes Scholars who dissect Supreme Court cases alongside economics majors modeling climate policy impacts; biology and environmental science draw on the college's polar legacy for hands-on fieldwork in nearby bays. Research abounds—undergrads co-author papers on everything from Arctic ecology to inequality—but expect rigorous grading and a culture that rewards self-starters over hand-holders, with less handcrafted advising than at bigger Ivies.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
1,881 undergrad • 0 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
52%
Black / African American
5%
Hispanic / Latino
13%
Asian
11%
Other / Multi-racial
18%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Brunswick, ME
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Bowdoin's frat-free campus (banned since 1982 amid scandals) fosters an inclusive social scene centered on 31 quirky residential houses, from the party-hearty Beta house to quiet study dens, where you'll bond over Thursday pizza nights or house talent shows. A typical week mixes morning seminars, afternoon club ultimate frisbee, and evenings at the on-campus pub; weekends mean bonfires on the quad, kayaking the Androscoggin River, or road trips to Portland's breweries. Traditions like the Polar Bear Run—students sprint shirtless into frigid ocean waves on the first snow—cement the outdoorsy, resilient vibe, but isolation tests introverts, and the tame party scene frustrates those craving big-school ragers amid six months of gray skies.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
New England Small College Athletic Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$4,531
$30K – $48K
$5,803
$48K – $75K
$10,270
$75K – $110K
$19,496
$110K+
$43,454
Apply for Financial Aid
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
97%
4 Years Graduation Rate
90%
6 Years Graduation Rate
94%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$82,735
97% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Bowdoin College and return in the fall. 90% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 94% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
90%
4-6 years
4%
Non-grad
6%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$60,952
Acceptance
7%
Undergrads
1,881
4-Year Grad Rate
90%
Endowment
$2.3B
Brunswick, ME 04011
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