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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

ACCEPTANCE RATE

8%

More selective than 5% of listed universities.

SelectiveAccessible

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

$0–$30,000
$30,001–$48,000
$48,001–$75,000
$75,001–$110,000
$110,001+

AVERAGE NET PRICE AFTER AID

$23,110/yr

▼ 14% since 2020-2151% receive aid

Average aid package $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%

Compared with the 89% public-university median.

Undergrad majors

43

Undergraduate majors and programs

MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY

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

Campus housing shows how many students live on-campus — which means nearby housing can be essential to the college experience.

On-campus beds

1,877

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
Brown University
$26,608
Dartmouth College
$17,322

AFTER GRADUATION

Student outcomes

What graduates earn and how reliably they land work — the bottom-line return on the degree.

Source: College Scorecard 2025

Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry

$82,735

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 students out-earn the typical high-school graduate — a core measure of mobility.

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics. University Apartments is not affiliated with Bowdoin College.