Admit rate has ranged 8%–9% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Bowdoin College is a fiercely selective liberal arts powerhouse where the Maine wilderness meets intellectual rigor. With a 7% acceptance rate and a no-loans financial aid policy, it attracts brainy outdoorsy types who thrive in its tight-knit, politically engaged community. Known for standout programs in government, environmental studies, and neuroscience, Bowdoin graduates boast a 96% graduation rate and median earnings rivaling Ivy League peers.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,873
In-state tuition
$67,832
Out-of-state tuition
$67,832
Mascot
Polar Bears
Location
Brunswick, ME (pop. 21,000)
Notable Alumni
Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Nathaniel Hawthorne, Joan Benoit Samuelson
Acceptance Rate
7%
Graduation Rate
96%
On-Campus Housing
94%
Most Popular Major
Government & Legal Studies
Need-Based Aid Recipients
50%
Median Earnings (8 Years Out)
$56,900
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$82,735
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
5.7×
Median debt at graduation
$18,500
Graduation rate
95%
First-year retention
97%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
90%
Pell (lower-income) share
49%
First-generation share
19%
Endowment / student
$1,379,288
Financial health
2.9 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$104,192
Economics$71,015
Mathematics$67,101
Political Science and Government$50,231
Psychology, General$44,971
Area Studies$42,123
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
4
Per 1,000 students
2.14
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
99
Summer high
75°F
Winter low
21°F
Annual rain
51.1"
Annual snow
48"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
174
Scholarly works
5,997
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Bowdoin College?
Bowdoin College's acceptance rate is approximately 7% (Brunswick, ME), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Bowdoin College?
Admitted students at Bowdoin College typically score 1470–1550 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Bowdoin College cost?
At Bowdoin College, the average net price (after aid) is about $14,398 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Bowdoin College?
Bowdoin College enrolls approximately 1,873 undergraduate students.
Where is Bowdoin College located?
Bowdoin College is located in Brunswick, ME.
Admissions
Bowdoin's admissions process is brutally selective, with just 7% of applicants admitted for the Class of 2029 from a pool of 14,045 candidates. The college practices need-blind admission and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans. Test scores are optional, but enrolled students typically have SAT scores between 1470–1540 or ACT composites of 33–35. About half of admitted students choose to enroll, reflecting Bowdoin's strong YieldThe share of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Colleges watch it closely, which is why some weigh how interested you seem..
Bowdoin's academic culture prizes interdisciplinary thinking and undergraduate research, with particularly strong programs in government (the most popular major), economics, and neuroscience. The college offers , including distinctive interdisciplinary options like Arctic Studies and Digital & Computational Studies. Small seminar-style classes dominate——and the curriculum emphasizes writing-intensive coursework. Notable quirks:
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$39,369
Biology, General$39,009
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
1.1%
Bottom → top quintile
42%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
40+ majors
68% have fewer than 20 students
No multiple-choice exams in many departments, favoring essays and applied projects
January term for immersive study abroad or research
3:2 engineering dual-degree programs with Dartmouth and Caltech
Life at Bowdoin orbits around outdoor pursuits (kayaking on the nearby Atlantic coast is a rite of passage) and intense political debates—the college has produced multiple U.S. senators. The social scene splits between athletes (40% of students play varsity sports) and artsy/intellectual crowds, with some tension between groups. Key traits:
94% live on campus in quirky themed houses (e.g., 'The Substance Free House')
Free housing during breaks, even for international students
Polar Bear pride manifests in winter plunges and hockey game traditions
Limited Greek life (just two non-residential societies)
Students report feeling extremely safe (98%) on the wooded 215-acre campus
Bowdoin's $86,030 total cost (2024-25) is offset by one of the most generous aid programs among liberal arts colleges:
100% need met with grants (no loans)
Aid packages range from $3,700 to $92,350
50% of students receive Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements.
Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. for families earning <$75k: ~$8,500/year
The college waives application fees for low-income students and uses CSS Profile (not just FAFSA) to assess need.
Bowdoin combines Down East practicality with intellectual firepower—where else would the dining hall serve Maine lobster bake dinners alongside lectures by visiting Nobel laureates? Its location (30 minutes from Portland, 2 hours from Boston) offers both wilderness access and urban connections. The college's ethical core shows in its Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy, need-blind admissions, and commitment to sustainability (it banned bottled water in 2010). For students who want rigorous academics without cutthroat competition, Bowdoin delivers a rare balance of camaraderie and challenge.
Bowdoin College logo · sourceOur Campus and Location | Bowdoin College · sourceCampus Maps | Bowdoin College · sourceBowdoin College | Liberal Arts, Private Institution, Maine | Britannica · source
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