Bowdoin College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Bowdoin College is a private institution located in Brunswick, Maine and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Bowdoin College admits fewer than 1 in 10 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 7%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT around 1510. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,398 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for Bowdoin College?

Successful applicants to Bowdoin College typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.

What does Bowdoin College weight in admissions?

Bowdoin College reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean

How Bowdoin College reads an application: what each weighting means for your child, plus waitlist, transfer and early-round odds

SAT and ACT scores Bowdoin College typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 740–780. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does Bowdoin College actually cost?

Published tuition is $67,832 for in-state students and $67,832 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,488 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $14,398 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 17% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for Bowdoin College

Will my child graduate from Bowdoin College?

These predict outcomes at Bowdoin College better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at Bowdoin College

The most popular undergraduate programs at Bowdoin College, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Political Science and Government, Economics and Area Studies. Across all programs, Bowdoin College confers roughly 384 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Political Science and Government program report a median income of about $83,716 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is Bowdoin College safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Bowdoin College disclosed 12 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 11 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at Bowdoin College?

About 95% of undergraduates at Bowdoin College live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in Maine parents ask about

• Bates College
  13% acceptance
• Colby College
  7% acceptance
• Husson University
  81% acceptance
• University of Maine
  97% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• Middlebury College
  11% acceptance · Vermont
• Johns Hopkins University
  6% acceptance · Maryland
• Washington University in St Louis
  12% acceptance · Missouri
• Vanderbilt University
  6% acceptance · Tennessee

Common questions parents ask about Bowdoin College