Bowdoin College

www.bowdoin.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$57,776

3.5% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$26,727

After Financial Aid

2021 Acceptance Rate

8.82%

18,650 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

3,902

99.8% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

93.8%

934 Graduates

About

Bowdoin College is a higher education institution located in Cumberland County, ME. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Bowdoin College were General Political Science & Government (100 degrees awarded), Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (72 degrees), and General Mathematics (42 degrees).

In 2021, 619 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Bowdoin College. 54.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (352 degrees), 5.5 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (64 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $57,776, which is $29,271 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $57,776, which is $29,271 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $26,727.

In 2021, 56% of undergraduate students attending Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 11% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$57,776

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Bowdoin College was $57,776. The cost of tuition at Bowdoin College is $29,271 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

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

Average Net Price

$26,727

2021 Value

4.31%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Bowdoin College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $26,727. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Bowdoin College grew by 4.31%.

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

$13,440

Room and Board

$840

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Bowdoin College was of $13,440 in 2021. The cost of room and board decreased by 12.5% between 2020 and 2021.

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

11%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

56% of undergraduate students at Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 7.69% with respect to 2020, when 52% 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.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Bowdoin College was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 148 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Bowdoin College received 18,650 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 0.819% annual decline. Out of those 18,650 applicants, 1,644 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 8.82% acceptance rate.

There were 3,902 students enrolled at Bowdoin College in 2021.

Bowdoin College has an overall enrollment yield of 62.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

8.82%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

1,644

Accepted Out of 18,650

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Bowdoin College was 8.82% (1,644 admissions from 18,650 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 9.16%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants declined by −0.819%, while admissions declined by −4.53%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Bowdoin College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Enrollment

Bowdoin College had a total enrollment of 3,902 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 3,896 students and the part-time enrollment is 6. This means that 99.8% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 57.4% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.92% Asian, 8.82% Two or More Races, 5.89% Black or African American, 0.205% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.103% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Bowdoin College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (29.8%), followed by White Female (27.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.95%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

99.8%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Bowdoin College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 3,902 students. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 3,896 and the part-time enrollment is 6. This means that 99.8% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time compared with 79.9% 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%

2021 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 (72%), 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 (2021)

White
2,240 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
434 enrolled students
Asian
348 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College is 57.4% White, 11.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.92% Asian, 8.82% Two or More Races, 5.89% Black or African American, 0.205% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.103% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 55% White, 13.5% Black or African American, and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.

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, 16 students (0.41%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 61 more women than men received degrees from Bowdoin College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Bowdoin College is white (352 degrees awarded). There were 5.5 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (64 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Bowdoin College is General Political Science & Government (100 degrees awarded), followed by Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (72 degrees) and General Mathematics (42 degrees).

In 2021, 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 (56 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (212 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (16 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 (340,802 people), Other managers (280,213 people), Postsecondary teachers (227,102 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (179,199 people), and Chief executives & legislators (129,031 people).

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College in 2021 are Cultural & Gender Studies (56 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (212 degrees), Philosophy and Religious Studies (16 degrees), Math & Statistics (42 degrees), and Physical Sciences (33 degrees) (as of 2021).

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, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, Aerospace engineers, and Derrick, rotary drill, & service unit operators, & roustabouts, oil, gas, & mining

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Cultural & Gender Studies (56 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (212 degrees), Philosophy and Religious Studies (16 degrees), Math & Statistics (42 degrees), and Physical Sciences (33 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges

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 Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (428,673 people), Elementary & secondary schools (400,095 people), Legal services (269,086 people), Computer Systems Design (246,398 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (194,696 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 (2021)

General Political Science & Government
100 degree-majors awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
72 degree-majors awarded
General Mathematics
42 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Bowdoin College was General Political Science & Government with 100 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

279

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

340

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 279 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College, which is 0.821 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (340).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 56 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 3.5 times more than the 16 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 49 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in General Political Science & Government, which is 0.961 times less than the 51 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

89%

100% Completion Time

95%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 89% of students graduating from Bowdoin College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 95% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 96% 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.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Two or More Races Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Bowdoin College is Male and Two or More Races (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.28% of graduates (12 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
352 degrees awarded
Asian
64 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
56 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Bowdoin College is white (352 degrees awarded). There were 5.5 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (64 degrees).

0.646% of degree recipients (4 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
189 degrees awarded
White Male
163 degrees awarded
Asian Female
36 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Bowdoin College is white female (189 degrees awarded). There were 1.16 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (163 degrees).

Operations

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.72B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 2.02B (74.3%) compared to the 17.4% average return (9.13M on 52.4M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2021, Bowdoin College had a total salary expenditure of 177M. Bowdoin College employs 140 Assistant professors, 136 Professors and 114 Associate professors. Most academics at Bowdoin College are Female Assistant professor (76), Female Professor (70), and Male Professor (66).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College are: Service, with 354 employees, Management, with 260 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 174 employees.

Endowment

$2.72B

2021 Endowment

52.6%

growth from 2020

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at about $2.72B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Bowdoin College grew 52.6% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.67B 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.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$9.57M - Federal
$70k - State
$0 - Local

As of 2021, Bowdoin College received $9.57M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $70k from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$74.5M

2021 Salaries

0.276%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Bowdoin College paid a median of $74.5M in salaries, which represents 42.1% of their overall expenditure ($177M) and a 0.276% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 0.279% growth from 2019 and a 6.14% growth from 2018.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.1M (38.9% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$51.6M

Instructional Salaries

446

Number of Employees

In 2021, Bowdoin College paid a total of $51.6M to 446 employees working as instructors, which represents 34.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $9.84M (65%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

140 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

354 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Bowdoin College were Assistant professor with 140 employees, Professor with 136 employees, and Associate professor with 114 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College were Service with 354 employees, Management with 260 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 174 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Female Assistant professor
Female Professor
Male Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Bowdoin College was Female Assistant professor with 76 employees, Female Professor with 70 employees, and Male Professor with 66 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Bowdoin College.