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Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME · Private · Town (fringe)

Private institution in Brunswick, ME · 1,846 undergraduates · 8% acceptance rate · $82,735 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$20,7861,147th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$64,9102,006th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$64,9102,006th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance
$80,3901,913th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt
$18,500490th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$82,735118th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$61,692214th highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
95.6%35th highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention
97.6%74th highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
8.0%25th most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT
151425th highest of 1,024 reporting
Median ACT
—

Campus

Undergraduates
1,846986th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
9.0:1304th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share
16.1%1,889th highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 119 mi (BOS)

On 7 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
$65
Personal essay
Required
Writing supplement
No

Supplemental prompts (2025-26)

  • This optional essay (max 250 words) is available in the Bowdoin Supplement. Based on The Offer of the College, which represents Bowdoin’s values, you have the option to reflect on any line of The Offer and how it has meaning to you:
  • Generations of students have found connection and meaning in Bowdoin’s “The Offer of the College,” written in 1906 by Bowdoin President William DeWitt Hyde.To be at home in all lands and all ages;To count Nature a familiar acquaintance,And Art an intimate friend;And the criticism of your own;To carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket,And feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;To make hosts of friends…who are to be leaders in all walks of life;To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends –This is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.Which line from The Offer resonates most with you?
  • This optional essay (max 250 words) is available in the Bowdoin Supplement. The essay question reads as follows:
  • Bowdoin believes that its broadly diverse and inclusive campus community prepares graduates to be contributing and useful citizens of the world. Every graduate of this institution should be confident in their preparation to be able to navigate through differences and in all sorts of situations. A Bowdoin education does not guarantee these skills, but it does impart a set of tools necessary to bravely enter unfamiliar conditions with the confidence to deal effectively with ambiguity.If you wish, you may share anything about the unique experiences and perspectives that you would bring with you to the Bowdoin campus and community or an experience you have had that required you to navigate across or through difference.

Source: Aristotle Circle 2025-26 supplemental prompt roundup

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 36 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Computer Sciencebachelors$78,971$104,192
EconomicsSocial Sciencesbachelors$63,997$71,015
Political Science and GovernmentSocial Sciencesbachelors$48,823$50,231
Biology, GeneralBiological Sciencesbachelors$44,649$39,009
Area StudiesArea & Ethnic Studiesbachelors$39,729$42,123
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchNatural Resourcesbachelors$37,568$25,194
Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBiological Sciencesbachelors$36,941$39,369
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBiological Sciencesbachelors$36,668—
English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literaturebachelors$30,771$22,771
SociologySocial Sciencesbachelors$30,463$30,771
AnthropologySocial Sciencesbachelors——
ArcheologySocial Sciencesbachelors——

Campus facts

Athletics — 17 sports

NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III

Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0 · Coed $0)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.

Notable alumni

Illustrative alumni only — not exhaustive and not a quality ranking. Affiliation claims cite Wikipedia/Wikidata; confirm on primary bios before relying on them.