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Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College admits 7 of every 100 applicants — a reach school for nearly everyone applying to Bowdoin College, whatever the rest of the profile says.
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Bowdoin College anchors the college town of Brunswick, ME, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. International students are a visible presence here — 6.8% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $137,611 four years out. Faculty pay averages $170,592 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 1,873 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 96.8% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1480 and 1550 — above the ME middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Bowdoin College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
Bowdoin College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1480–1550 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Bowdoin College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 730 | 750 | 760 |
| SAT Math | 750 | 760 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Bowdoin College received 10,966 applications and admitted 879 (8%), with 504 enrolling.
How Bowdoin College compares
| Bowdoin College | Maine median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 7.1% | 81% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $67,832 | $23,304 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $82,735 | $48,653 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Bowdoin College student earns $82,735 — 70% above the Maine median of $48,653 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Bowdoin College lists tuition at $67,832 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Bowdoin College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $67,832 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 1,873 undergraduates, Bowdoin College is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
95.3% of Bowdoin College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 40.4 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $67,832 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Bowdoin College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $137,611 |
| Economics | $121,983 |
| Political Science and Government | $89,253 |
| Area Studies | $75,966 |
Median earnings for these 4 Bowdoin College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $82,735 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 32 additional Bowdoin College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Bowdoin College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1480–1550 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 7.1% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Bowdoin College's acceptance rate?
8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 879 admitted from 10,966 applicants.
How much does Bowdoin College cost?
At Bowdoin College, published tuition is $67,832 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Bowdoin College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Bowdoin College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $82,735 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Maine
- Bates College — 13.3% admitted
- Colby College — 7.1% admitted
- Maine College of Health Professions — 71.4% admitted
- College of the Atlantic — 70.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.