BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·bowdoin.edu
6-yr Graduation
95%
+5.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,881
peer median 1,898
Avg net price
$20,786
-$3.6k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
13,265
13,265 candidates competed
Admitted
946
7.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
507
53.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
95%+5.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
72%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
95%
Full-time retention
97%

Pell equity

4.0pp gap
Pell recipients
93%
Non-Pell
97%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 41 Title IV programs, 4 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 37 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
41
Passing
4
9.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

41programs
  • Passing4 · 9.8%
  • No Data37 · 90.2%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
4
No data
37

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

4
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+118.2%
$75,966 vs $34,808
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+156.4%
$89,253 vs $34,808
Economics
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+250.4%
$121,983 vs $34,808
Computer Science
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+295.3%
$137,611 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

3
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
26%
$19,500 debt · $75,966 earn
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
21%
$18,490 debt · $89,253 earn
Economics
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
14%
$17,500 debt · $121,983 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1929Next review Jun 2027

Action history · 1

  1. Mar 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$3,275
$30–48k$3,464
$48–75k$6,764
$75–110k$20,899
$110k+$42,867

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$20,786
-$3,592vs Baccalaureate median $24,378
Federal loans
10.2%
In-state tuition
$64,910
Out-of-state
$64,910

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 419 students received $2.6M in Pell grants, alongside $3.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
419
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.6M
$2,588,134 total
Direct Loans
$3.2M
250 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$197K
53 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$728K
134 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.2M
63 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 148 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
148
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.5%
2017
1.4%
2018
0.7%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Bowdoin College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs43
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

589 total completions
01Social Sciences
18030.6%
02Biological Sciences
10117.1%
03Area/Ethnic Studies
559.3%
04Physical Sciences
539.0%
05Mathematics
518.7%
06Computer Sciences
406.8%
07Visual/Performing Arts
294.9%
08English Language
284.8%
09History
274.6%
10Natural Resources
254.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,881
12-mo unduplicated
2,018
Undergraduate
2,018
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
48%976
Women
52%1,042

Race / ethnicity composition

White
52.6%
Hispanic
13.4%
Asian
11.1%
Two or more
10.2%
Non-resident
6.8%
Black
5.5%
Unknown
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
668
375 M · 293 W
Women athletes
43.9%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$13.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$76K
$60K
Head-coach salaries
$61K
$60K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 16

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
139 M · 110 W
$772K
Football
84 M ·
$864K
Lacrosse
52 M · 31 W
$681K
Ice Hockey
32 M · 25 W
$720K
Soccer
30 M · 27 W
$575K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
24 M · 24 W
$248K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
6.79
13 offenses · 1,915 students

3-year trend

3.942 yrs ago4.611 yr ago6.79Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
29
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
10
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
8

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
5
Fondling
3
Arson
2
Aggravated assault
2
Burglary
1

By location

13total
  • On campus12
  • Public property1

Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
3
Stalking
5 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor058

Residence-hall fires

  • Coles Tower1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99
  • Mayflower Apartments1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Osher Hall1 fire
    Open flame to ceiling light panelDamage $0-$99
  • West Hall1 fire
    Open flame to ceiling light panelsDamage $100-$999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
228

Bowdoin College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Bowdoin College selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBowdoin College
95%1,881$20,786Baccalaureate
Bates College
90%13.3%1,760$30,703Baccalaureate
Colby College
89%7.1%2,412$23,939Baccalaureate
Connecticut College
82%37.0%1,990$33,998Baccalaureate
Amherst College
94%9.0%1,914$18,246Baccalaureate
Gordon College
69%69.2%1,595$24,817Baccalaureate
Peer group median90%13.3%1,898$24,378

Frequently asked questions about Bowdoin College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bowdoin College.

What is the graduation rate at Bowdoin College?

Bowdoin College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 95% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bowdoin College?

Bowdoin College reports a total enrollment of 1,881 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bowdoin College?

The average net price at Bowdoin College is $20,786 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Bowdoin College?

Bowdoin College's yield rate is 53.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Bowdoin College located?

Bowdoin College is located in Brunswick, Maine 04011.

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