About

About Bowdoin College

liberal arts collegehighly selective admissionssmall intimate campustest optional policy

Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, ME, known for its liberal arts college, highly selective admissions, and small intimate campus. With an acceptance rate of 9%, Bowdoin is one of the most selective colleges in the United States, typically enrolling around 508 students each year. Bowdoin is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1470–1530, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. Students who apply Early Decision are admitted at 18%, meaningfully higher than the regular decision rate of 9%, making Early Decision a meaningful strategic consideration. Bowdoin meets 100% of demonstrated financial need and has replaced loans with grants.

Admissions

Bowdoin College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

one of the most selective colleges in the United States

9%
Overall Accept Rate
1500
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1470 – 1530 (test optional)

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ACTScore range: 33 – 35

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ED advantage at Bowdoin College: ED acceptance rate is 18% vs 9% regular decision, more than double. If Bowdoin Collegeis your first choice and you've confirmed the financial fit, Early Decision is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Bowdoin College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
Bowdoin places essays at the highest importance level, so use their supplemental prompts to show exactly why Brunswick, the Bowdoin Outing Club, the residential college system, or a specific faculty member's research connects to who you already are, not just who you hope to become.
Test Score Strategy
Since Bowdoin is test optional and your score falls below their 75th percentile, leaving the test score field blank protects your application and lets your grades, essays, and activities speak without a number pulling attention downward.

Get a tailored strategy for Bowdoin College. Build your free list to unlock personalized advice on submitting test scores and discover your actual admission odds based on your student profile.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Bowdoin College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Loan-free financial aid: Bowdoin College has replaced all loans with grants. Bowdoin College's sticker price of ~$76k/year bears almost no resemblance to what most families pay.
Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$76k/yr$3.1k
30k-48k~$76k/yr$2.8k
48k-75k~$76k/yr$9.0k
75k-110k~$76k/yr$13.8k
110k+~$76k/yr$35.2k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

96%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$62k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
8:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,866
Undergrad Enrollment
Bowdoin College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch