More selective than 75% 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 $58,266. College Scorecard.
Higher than 76% of Maine colleges we cover and 76% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 6% of Maine colleges we cover and 13% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
College of the Atlantic acceptance rate & admissions
Of 446 applicants, College of the Atlantic admitted 290 and 81 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
College of the Atlantic 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 College of the Atlantic costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of College of the Atlantic took 4.3 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 | $20,415 | $87,785 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $13,942 | $59,951 | 16.6 years |
| $48–75k | $16,650 | $71,595 | 19.9 years |
| $75–110k | $26,266 | $112,944 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $34,684 | $149,141 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (52% 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 ($40,264) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,603 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.
College of the Atlantic majors, earnings & careers
College of the Atlantic offers 2 bachelor's majors across 1 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 2
Highest-earning majors at College of the Atlantic
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $31,138 | $25,475 |
Quick list of all 2 majors
- Interdisciplinary Studies$31,138
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
— 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 →Living in Bar Harbor
2 bedrooms $1,484.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 56 inches of rain a year.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hancock County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hancock County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare College of the Atlantic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Atlantic | 70% | $25,184 | 68% | $40,264 | This school |
| Maine College of Health Professions | 71% | $26,312 | 67% | $79,840 | |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 76% | $38,338 | 52% | $40,778 | |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 84% | $27,555 | 66% | $59,045 | |
| Husson University | 81% | $21,005 | 59% | $45,025 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
College of the Atlantic would cost you $1,128 less per year than Maine College of Health Professions, on average.
- Higher sticker price at College of the Atlantic.
- College of the Atlantic gives aided families $32,567 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maine resident | College of the Atlantic | MCHP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $58,266 | $26,827 | +$31,439 |
| Average grants | −$33,082 | −$515 | −$32,567 |
| You pay | $25,184 | $26,312 | −$1,128 |
“+” means College of the Atlantic 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 College of the Atlantic
What is the College of the Atlantic acceptance rate?
College of the Atlantic accepts 70% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 290 of 446 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 on the SAT.
How much does College of the Atlantic cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $58,266 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,184 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,415 and families earning $110k+ pay $34,684.
How much do College of the Atlantic graduates earn?
Former College of the Atlantic students earn a median $40,264 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the College of the Atlantic graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a College of the Atlantic degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at College of the Atlantic costs about $71,595 after grants ($16,650 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,264 ten years after starting, $3,603 more than high school graduates in Maine ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 19.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is College of the Atlantic the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing College of the Atlantic with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “College of the Atlantic: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/college-of-the-atlantic (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).