ACCEPTANCE RATE
8%
More selective than 95% of listed universities.
SelectiveAccessible
Private University
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College is a private nonprofit four-year institution in Brunswick, Maine, known for its liberal arts focus and strong research opportunities.
Brunswick, MEtown, fringe
8%ACCEPTANCE
$23,110AVG NET PRICE
96%GRAD RATE
1,850STUDENTS
University data profileIPEDS 2023
THE SIGNATURE
Bowdoin College Report Card
Explore university facts, programs, and campus life at a glance.
Bowdoin College stands as a distinguished private nonprofit university located in Brunswick, Maine. The campus fosters an environment where students engage deeply with faculty through independent research projects and collaborative learning experiences. Academic life is characterized by a commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry, exemplified by new initiatives like the Data Science Laboratory that integrates computing tools across diverse fields from biology to economics.
Beyond the classroom, student life at Bowdoin offers a rich array of experiences ranging from outdoor orientation trips involving hiking and canoeing to funded summer internships. The college supports its community through various fellowships and research grants, helping scholars pursue ambitious projects in areas such as artificial intelligence, environmental policy, and sports medicine.
AT A GLANCE
TypePrivateFour or more years
Settingtown, fringe
Calendarsemester
GETTING IN
Admissions
Admission to Bowdoin College is selective with an acceptance rate of 8 percent. Applicants may submit SAT scores, where a math midpoint for admitted students is reported at 770.
Source: IPEDS 2023
SAT RANGE (MID 50%)
1,480–1,550
4001600
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Jan 5regular
Undergraduate application fee $65.
WHAT IT COSTS
Cost & Financial Aid
Sticker price tells you little — net price after aid is what most families actually pay.
Source: IPEDS 2023
IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
$64,910/yr
Out-of-state: $64,910/yr.
Net price by income band
$3,275$0–$30,000
$3,464$30,001–$48,000
$6,764$48,001–$75,000
$20,899$75,001–$110,000
$42,867$110,001+
AVERAGE NET PRICE AFTER AID
$23,110/yr
▼ 14% since 2020-2151% receive grants or scholarships
Average grant or scholarship aid $55,228.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Academics
Bowdoin offers 43 undergraduate majors and recently launched a Data Science Laboratory combining statistics, computing, and machine learning to address questions in biology and public policy.
Source: IPEDS 2023
Student–faculty ratio
9:1
62.5% of classes have fewer than 20 students.
6-year graduation rate
96%
▲ 2 pts since 2016
First-year retention
98%
Median across 34 institutions in our national dataset: 89%.
Bachelor-level fields offered
43
Bachelor-level fields reported as offered in IPEDS
MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY
Share of bachelor's degree completions, not of all enrolled students.
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.15.2%
Political Science and Government, General.12.9%
Biology/Biological Sciences, General.9.8%
English Language and Literature, General.6.9%
Mathematics, General.6%
Neuroscience.5.4%
CAMPUS LIFE
Campus & Housing
Reported capacity of institution-controlled housing and campus setting. Capacity does not indicate how many students currently live in university housing.
University-controlled housing capacity
1,877
Includes institution-controlled housing; it may extend beyond campus.
Setting
town, fringe
IN CONTEXT
Bowdoin College vs. peer institutions
How Bowdoin College compares with officially identified or editorially reviewed peer institutions.
Bowdoin College
$23,110
Amherst College
$17,965
Bates College
$26,658
Swarthmore College
$17,930
Haverford College
$22,828
AFTER GRADUATION
Student outcomes
Earnings and employment of former students after entering the university.
Source: College Scorecard 2025
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$82,735
Median earnings of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.
Working after 10 yrs
51.4%
Share of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.
Earning more than a high-school graduate
87.7%
87.7% of former students earn above the Scorecard high-school earnings threshold, ten years after entry.
Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics, and College Scorecard. University Apartments is not affiliated with Bowdoin College.