Bowdoin College
#9 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie)
Overview
Bowdoin College is a private institution that was founded in 1794. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,915 (fall 2022), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 207 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Bowdoin College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #9. Its tuition and fees are $64,910.
Bowdoin College is located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. The Bowdoin Polar Bears compete in 30 varsity sports in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. Bowdoin has more than 100 student organizations. One of the largest and most active groups is the Outing Club, which offers around 150 excursions each year. Peucinian Society, founded in 1805, is one of the oldest literary and intellectual societies in the country, with alumni including poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Bowdoin abolished fraternities in 1997 and replaced them with a system of college-owned social houses. Freshmen are required to live on campus and are assigned to a college house that provides residential social activities.
Bowdoin was a men’s college until 1971, when the school admitted its first female students. It was also the first school to make the SAT and ACT optional on its application in 1969. More than half of Bowdoin students study abroad for a semester through more than 100 affiliated academic programs. Notable alumni include Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, author Nathaniel Hawthorne, activist and educator Geoffrey Canada, former U.S. President Franklin Pierce and investigative correspondent at NBC News Cynthia McFadden.
Bowdoin College is a private institution that was founded in 1794. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,915 (fall 2022), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 207 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Bowdoin College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #9. Its tuition and fees are $64,910.
Bowdoin College is located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. The Bowdoin Polar Bears compete in 30 varsity sports in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. Bowdoin has more than 100 student organizations. One of the largest and most active groups is the Outing Club, which offers around 150 excursions each year. Peucinian Society, founded in 1805, is one of the oldest literary and intellectual societies in the country, with alumni including poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Bowdoin abolished fraternities in 1997 and replaced them with a system of college-owned social houses. Freshmen are required to live on campus and are assigned to a college house that provides residential social activities.
Bowdoin was a men’s college until 1971, when the school admitted its first female students. It was also the first school to make the SAT and ACT optional on its application in 1969. More than half of Bowdoin students study abroad for a semester through more than 100 affiliated academic programs. Notable alumni include Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, author Nathaniel Hawthorne, activist and educator Geoffrey Canada, former U.S. President Franklin Pierce and investigative correspondent at NBC News Cynthia McFadden.
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At-a-Glance
Setting
Suburban
Tuition & Fees
$64,910
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,915
Acceptance Rate
9%
2024 Rankings
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Admissions
Cost
Tuition & Fees
$64,910
Room & Board
$17,690(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$62,389
$16,925
$16,925
Tuition & Fees
$64,910
Room & Board
$17,690(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$62,389
*Average cost after aid
Academics
88%
9:1
64%
Popular Majors
MAJOR
% OF GRADUATES
ALUMNI STARTING SALARY
Political Science and Government, General
19%
N/A
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
17%
N/A
Mathematics, General
10%
N/A
Computer Science
10%
N/A
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
8%
N/A
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* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
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Students
1,915
Graduate Enrollment
N/A
Total Enrollment
1,915
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
1,909
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
37%
Minority Enrollment
37%
Minority Enrollment
56%
White
13%
Hispanic
9%
Asian
9%
Two or more races
6%
Black
6%
International
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
64+
Sports Teams
N/A
Fraternities
N/A
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
88%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
23%
Average Debt at Graduation
$20,652
$49,024
$49,024
Graduation Rate
88%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
23%
Average Debt at Graduation
$20,652
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Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
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