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 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
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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