More selective than 88% of Maine colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,532. College Scorecard.
Higher than 94% of Maine colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 76% of Maine colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bates College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 8,937 applicants, Bates College admitted 1,164 and 505 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1420–1530 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bates College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Bates College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bates College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maine. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $2,397 | $9,756 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $8,958 | $36,459 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $11,336 | $46,138 | 1.4 years |
| $75–110k | $19,468 | $79,235 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $45,886 | $186,756 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (85% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($69,498) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32,837 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Bates College majors, earnings & careers
Bates College offers 32 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Bates College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $110,880 | $13,000 |
| Political Science | $80,714 | $11,532 |
| Psychology | $65,926 | — |
| English | $62,082 | — |
Quick list of all 32 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Dance—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$110,880
- Engineering—
- English$62,082
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$80,714
- Psychology$65,926
- Psychology (Research)—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lewiston
Overall prices in the Lewiston-Auburn, ME area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,677. Housing costs 31% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 45 inches of rain a year, 65 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Androscoggin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Androscoggin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bates College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Maine by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates College | 13% | $29,351 | 90% | $69,498 | This school |
| Bowdoin College | 7% | $14,398 | 95% | $82,735 | |
| Colby College | 7% | $17,180 | 89% | $80,490 | |
| College of the Atlantic | 70% | $25,184 | 68% | $40,264 | |
| Maine College of Health Professions | 71% | $26,312 | 67% | $79,840 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bates College would cost you $14,953 more per year than Bowdoin College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Bates College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,242).
- Bowdoin College gives aided families $16,521 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maine resident | Bates College | Bowdoin College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $66,590 | $67,832 | −$1,242 |
| Books & supplies | $900 | $840 | +$60 |
| Housing & meals | $17,904 | $17,690 | +$214 |
| Personal & travel | $1,250 | $1,660 | −$410 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,112 | −$2,922 | −$190 |
| Sticker price | $83,532 | $85,100 | −$1,568 |
| Average grants | −$54,181 | −$70,702 | +$16,521 |
| You pay | $29,351 | $14,398 | +$14,953 |
“+” means Bates College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Bates College
What is the Bates College acceptance rate?
Bates College accepts 13% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,164 of 8,937 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1420–1530 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
How much does Bates College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $83,532 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $29,351 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $2,397 and families earning $110k+ pay $45,886.
How much do Bates College graduates earn?
Former Bates College students earn a median $69,498 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bates College graduation rate?
90% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 91% return for their second year.
How long does a Bates College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bates College costs about $46,138 after grants ($11,336 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $69,498 ten years after starting, $32,837 more than high school graduates in Maine ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 1.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bates College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bates-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).