Bowdoin College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Brunswick, Maine. It enrolls 1,873 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Excellent
90/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes98
Value94
Affordability45
Selectivity98
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 7.1%, Bowdoin College is among the most selective colleges in the country.
Acceptance Rate
7.1%
Highly Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1470 – 1550
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
33 – 35
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Bowdoin College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
1.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Bowdoin College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $14,398 per year. That's below the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$14,398
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
17%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
8%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$67,832
Room & Board (on-campus)
$18,488
Books & Supplies
$840
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,660
Total Cost of Attendance
$85,100
Application fee: $65 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$3,145
$30,001 – $48,000
$2,800
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,007
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,801
Over $110,000
$35,196
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,50010%percentile
$8,45425%percentile
$18,500Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$31,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $13,161
↓ $5,339
No Pell $12,000
↓ $6,500
Female students $13,000
↓ $5,500
Male students $12,000
↓ $6,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,541, less than completers ($18,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
97% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
97%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Bowdoin College earn a median of $82,735 ten years after first enrolling. That's well above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$82,735
Earning > $25K
88%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$71,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$93,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $21,600, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$5.7 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Bowdoin College is home to 1,873 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,873
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
19%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 52.7%987
Hispanic 14.5%272
Asian 11.2%209
Other 9.1%171
International 6.8%128
Black 5.4%101
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Bowdoin College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: FringeBrunswick, Maine
Housing
Strongly residential1,877 beds for 1,873 students
Adult Learners
1%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Bowdoin College offers
a varied set of programs:
32 distinct programs across
15 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Bowdoin College is 9:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$2.6B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$126,527
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
220 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
67
30%
$166,743
Associate Professors
60
27%
$129,818
Assistant Professors
71
32%
$95,072
Lecturers
22
10%
$96,593
Pros & Cons of Bowdoin College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Bowdoin College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Highly selective, strong peer cohort
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Strong first-year retention
Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Bowdoin College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bowdoin College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Bowdoin College.
Is Bowdoin College hard to get into?
Yes. Bowdoin College is among the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 7.1%. Successful applicants typically have top-decile test scores and strong academic, extracurricular, and recommendation profiles.
What is the acceptance rate at Bowdoin College?
Bowdoin College has an acceptance rate of 7.1%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Bowdoin College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Bowdoin College scored between 1470 and 1550 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Bowdoin College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Bowdoin College scored between 33 and 35 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Bowdoin College cost?
The average net price after aid at Bowdoin College is $14,398 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bowdoin College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $82,735 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $14,398 per year. That's roughly 5.7x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Bowdoin College known for?
Bowdoin College is best known for its programs in Economics, Political Science, Biology. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Bowdoin College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Bowdoin College are $82,735, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Bowdoin College accredited?
Yes. Bowdoin College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Bowdoin College?
Bowdoin College enrolls 1,873 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
Is Bowdoin College a public or private college?
Bowdoin College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Bowdoin College located?
Bowdoin College is located in Brunswick, Maine.
What programs does Bowdoin College offer?
Bowdoin College offers 32 distinct programs. The most popular include Economics, Political Science, Biology.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Bowdoin College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Bowdoin College is 9:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Maine
Other colleges in Maine share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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