Bowdoin College

https://www.bowdoin.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$67,198

4.5% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$22,228

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

7.13%

13,265 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

1,881

99.6% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

95.3%

484 Graduates

About

Bowdoin College is a higher education institution located in Cumberland County, ME. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Bowdoin College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (75 degrees awarded), General Political Science & Government (73 degrees), and General Mathematics (51 degrees).

In 2024, 666 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Bowdoin College. 52.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 47.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (383 degrees), 5.47 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (70 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $67,198, which is $39,020 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $67,198, which is $39,020 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $22,228.

In 2024, 56% of undergraduate students attending Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 8% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$67,198

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at Bowdoin College was $67,198. The cost of tuition at Bowdoin College is $39,020 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Bowdoin College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$22,228

2024 Value

3.82%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 Bowdoin College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $22,228. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Bowdoin College grew by 3.82%.

This chart compares the average net price of Bowdoin College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$17,690

Room and Board

$840

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Bowdoin College was of $17,690 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 5.47% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $840. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Bowdoin College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

56%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

56% of undergraduate students at Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a growth of 9.8% with respect to 2023, when 51% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Bowdoin College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

Bowdoin College received 13,265 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 21% annual growth. Out of those 13,265 applicants, 946 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 7.13% acceptance rate.

There were 1,881 students enrolled at Bowdoin College in 2024. 31% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Bowdoin College has an overall enrollment yield of 53.6%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

7.13%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

946

Accepted Out of 13,265

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Bowdoin College was 7.13% (946 admissions from 13,265 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 8.02%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 21%, while admissions grew by 7.62%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Bowdoin College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

31%

Submission Percentage (2024)

158

Scores Submitted (2024)

31% of enrolled first-time students at Bowdoin College in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Bowdoin College had a total enrollment of 1,881 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 1,873 students and the part-time enrollment is 8. This means that 99.6% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 52.8% White, 14.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 8.88% Two or More Races, 5.37% Black or African American, 0.159% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0532% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Bowdoin College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (27.8%), followed by White Female (24.8%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (8.36%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

99.6%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Bowdoin College in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,881 students. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 1,873 and the part-time enrollment is 8. This means that 99.6% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time compared with 78.9% at similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Bowdoin College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

97%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Bowdoin College was 97%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (75%), Bowdoin College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Bowdoin College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
993 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
272 enrolled students
Asian
209 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College is 52.8% White, 14.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 8.88% Two or More Races, 5.37% Black or African American, 0.159% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0532% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 50.5% White, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.2% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 5 students (0.266%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 38 more women than men received degrees from Bowdoin College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Bowdoin College is white (383 degrees awarded). There were 5.47 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (70 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Bowdoin College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (75 degrees awarded), followed by General Political Science & Government (73 degrees) and General Mathematics (51 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Bowdoin College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Cultural & Gender Studies (55 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (53 degrees), and Math & Statistics (51 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (439,594 people), Other managers (365,121 people), Postsecondary teachers (241,522 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (205,038 people), and Secondary school teachers (172,552 people).

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College in 2024 are Cultural & Gender Studies (55 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (53 degrees), Math & Statistics (51 degrees), Social Sciences (180 degrees), and History (27 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Logisticians, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, and Economists

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Cultural & Gender Studies (55 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (53 degrees), Math & Statistics (51 degrees), Social Sciences (180 degrees), and History (27 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Elementary & secondary schools (561,299 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (500,523 people), Legal services (346,086 people), Computer Systems Design (335,254 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (231,006 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Bowdoin College.

Most Common (2024)

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
75 degrees awarded
General Political Science & Government
73 degrees awarded
General Mathematics
51 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Bowdoin College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 75 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Bowdoin College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

314

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

352

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 314 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College, which is 0.892 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (352).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Bowdoin College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 57 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 3.17 times more than the 18 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 29 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in General Political Science & Government, which is 0.659 times less than the 44 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

88%

100% Completion Time

94%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 88% of students graduating from Bowdoin College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 94% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 94% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Baccalaureate Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
383 degrees awarded
Asian
70 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
67 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Bowdoin College is white (383 degrees awarded). There were 5.47 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (70 degrees).

0.15% of degree recipients (1 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Male
232 degrees awarded
White Female
229 degrees awarded
White Male
225 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Bowdoin College is white male (232 degrees awarded). There were 1.01 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (229 degrees).

Operations

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.58B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 267M (10.3%) compared to the 7.58% average return (3.75M on 49.5M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2024, Bowdoin College had a total salary expenditure of 228M. Bowdoin College employs 77 Assistant professors, 64 Professors and 60 Associate professors. Most academics at Bowdoin College are Female Assistant professor (39), Male Assistant professor (38), and Female Associate professor (35).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College are: Service, with 212 employees, Management, with 126 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 97 employees.

Endowment

$2.58B

2024 Endowment

6.66%

growth from 2023

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at about $2.58B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Bowdoin College grew 6.66% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.53B higher than than the median endowment of Baccalaureate Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Bowdoin College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$92.7M

2024 Salaries

4.89%

growth from 2023

In 2024, Bowdoin College paid a median of $92.7M in salaries, which represents 40.7% of their overall expenditure ($228M) and a 4.89% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.34% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 12.6% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$29.2M

Instructional Salaries

228

Number of Employees

In 2024, Bowdoin College paid a total of $29.2M to 228 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $522k (3.48%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College were Service with 212 employees, Management with 126 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 97 employees.

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