# Bowdoin College

Private nonprofit college in Brunswick, ME. IPEDS ID 161004.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/bowdoin-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/bowdoin-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 7% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $14,398 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 95%; beats 100% of ME colleges and 98% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $82,735; beats 94% of ME colleges and 94% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $12,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $3,145 |
| 30-48k | $2,800 |
| 48-75k | $9,007 |
| 75-110k | $13,801 |
| 110k+ | $35,196 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.15 years on average (82% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $82,735 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $3,145 | $13,052 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $2,800 | $11,620 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $9,007 | $37,379 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $13,801 | $57,274 | 1.2 years |
| 110k+ | $35,196 | $146,063 | 3.2 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $85,100
- Tuition and fees: $67,832
- Housing and meals: $17,690; books: $840

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 730–770; SAT math: 740–780; ACT: 33–35 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 10,966 applicants, 879 admitted, 504 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 7%, ACT 33–35 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 8%, ACT 33–35 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (36 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | not reported | $137,611 | not reported |
| Economics | $75,867 | $121,983 | $19,500 |
| Political Science | $60,626 | $89,253 | $19,634 |
| Area Studies | $45,315 | $75,966 | $24,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | $49,421 | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | $43,373 | not reported | $19,500 |
| Mathematics | $90,213 | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Computer Interaction | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Archeology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | $47,749 | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $128,710 (Portland-South Portland, ME), $123,120 (ME), $135,980 (U.S.)
- Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist: median wage $75,340 (Portland-South Portland, ME), $66,480 (ME), $82,220 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).