ACCEPTANCE RATE
65%
More selective than 39% of listed universities.
SelectiveAccessible
Private University
College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, offers a private four-year education where curiosity leads and community grounds students. Located on the ocean's edge, this small institution integrates science, art, and action to prepare graduates for meaningful work.
Bar Harbor, MERural: Remote
65%ACCEPTANCE
$22,692AVG NET PRICE
69%GRAD RATE
367STUDENTS
University data profileIPEDS 2023
THE SIGNATURE
College of the Atlantic Report Card
Explore university facts, programs, and campus life at a glance.
College of the Atlantic is a private nonprofit university located in Bar Harbor, Maine. The campus character is defined by an interdisciplinary approach where learning happens directly within the living world rather than just inside classrooms. Students engage with the environment through activities like pulling water samples from Frenchman Bay or tracking forest health in Acadia National Park. This unique setting supports a curriculum built around human ecology that integrates science, policy, art, and action to address complex global challenges.
The surrounding area provides immediate access to coastal ecosystems and national parks, allowing students to sketch wildlife in the Yucatán or study local black bears during their studies. Student life is intimate and collaborative, with a tight-knit community where members share meals, responsibilities, and ideas while participating in college governance. The small size ensures that people remember each other's names, fostering an environment of deep inclusion and support for personal growth.
AT A GLANCE
TypePrivateFour or more years
SettingRural: Remote
Calendartrimester
GETTING IN
Admissions
College of the Atlantic accepts approximately 65 percent of applicants from a pool of 446 students. The admissions process seeks individuals who are ready to have their lives flipped on their head and dunked in the ocean repeatedly. Prospective students should look for an environment where they can question answers, challenge the status quo, and seek tranquility in spruce-fir forests.
Source: IPEDS 2023
APPLICATION FEE
No application fee.
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
$46,179/yr
Out-of-state: $46,179/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
$22,692/yr
▲ 19% since 2020-2196% receive aid
Average aid package $32,909.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Academics
The academic program centers on human ecology as both a framework and a practice that integrates science, policy, art, and action. Students learn in classrooms, shared kitchens, labs, studios, and conversations that spill into the world around them. The curriculum challenges students to pursue their interests with depth and discipline while preparing them for meaningful work in a complex global environment.
Source: IPEDS 2023
Student–faculty ratio
10:1
6-year graduation rate
69%
▲ 4 pts since 2016
First-year retention
83%
Compared with the 89% public-university median.
Undergrad majors
1
Undergraduate majors and programs
MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies.100%
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
204
Setting
Rural: Remote
IN CONTEXT
College of the Atlantic vs. peer institutions
How College of the Atlantic compares with officially identified or editorially reviewed peer institutions.
College of the Atlantic
$22,692
Allen University
$11,058
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
$19,204
Centenary College of Louisiana
$25,427
Lyon College
$22,675
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
$40,264
Working after 10 yrs
43.4%
Share of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.
Earning more than a high-school graduate
66%
66% 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 College of the Atlantic.