At schools with acceptance rates below 10%, nearly every applicant has near-perfect grades and test scores. Admissions decisions are driven by essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, and institutional priorities — factors no stats-based model can predict. Our likelihood labels reflect academic competitiveness only.
Bowdoin College is a highly selective liberal arts college on the coast of Maine, known for being one of the first test-optional schools in the country. Its award-winning dining program, strong environmental studies offerings, and tight-knit residential community have made it one of the most sought-after small colleges in the Northeast.
Mascot: Polar Bear
Notable Alumni
Nathaniel Hawthorne (author of The Scarlet Letter)•Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (legendary American poet)•Reed Hastings (co-founder of Netflix)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2026-2027. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
# = approximate national ranking, based on departmental rankings, research output and program reputation. Offered = the college offers the major, but we don't rank it.
Highlights
Athletics
Campus Experience
Bowdoin abolished fraternities in the late 1990s and replaced them with College Houses — social spaces that host weekend parties in their basements. The legendary dining hall (perennially top-ranked) is genuinely a social hub, and the campus's 94% residential rate creates a tight community. Maine's outdoors — sailing, hiking, skiing — shape weekend culture almost as much as the party scene. Academics are demanding but wrapped in a famously warm, collaborative, and non-competitive community ethos.
Elegant granite and brick Federal-era buildings anchor a classic Maine campus with towering pines, the iconic Bowdoin Pines grove, and a quintessential New England coastal town setting.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
Bowdoin's Office of Safety and Security provides 24/7 coverage with trained personnel, late-night transportation, and electronic dorm access. Violent crime is exceedingly rare.
Brunswick is a safe coastal Maine town with a violent crime rate 80% below the national average and zero homicides in the most recent reporting year.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Weekdays during the academic year. Campus tour and information sessions available (e.g., Wednesdays at 10am for ~2.5 hours). Group tours Monday-Friday.
Duration: ~2-2.5 hours (information session + campus tour)
Admissions is at 255 Maine St, Brunswick, ME 04011. Contact: (207) 725-3100 or admissions@bowdoin.edu. Register via the online calendar.
Book a TourSelf-guided tour available when student-led tours are not offered. Downloadable materials and self-paced virtual tours of main campus, arts, and athletic facilities.
Tour ResourcesSeptember-October for spectacular Maine fall foliage and lively campus. Late April-May is also wonderful as Maine warms up. Avoid January-March (cold, snowy, campus can feel isolating). Brunswick's walkable downtown is most vibrant during the academic year. Summer is pleasant but campus is quiet.
Admissions visitors park in the Burton-Little (Admissions) lot off Coles Tower Drive. Additional free parking on Coffin Street, North Campus Drive, and South Campus Drive. Free 2-hour street parking along Maine Street in town. Portland International Jetport (PWM) is 35 minutes south. Amtrak Downeaster stops in Brunswick (3 daily round-trips to Boston) — the station is a 5-minute walk to campus.
Location
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