Bowdoin College

www.bowdoin.edu

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2023 Undergraduate Tuition

$64,304

5.5% growth from 2022

2023 Average Net Price

$23,110

After Financial Aid

2020 Default Rate

on Student Loans

2023 Acceptance Rate

8.02%

10,966 Applicants

2023 Enrolled Students

1,850

99.7% Full-Time

2023 Graduation Rate

95.6%

478 Graduates

About

Bowdoin College is a higher education institution located in Cumberland County, ME. In 2023, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Bowdoin College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (85 degrees awarded), General Political Science & Government (77 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (47 degrees).

In 2023, 667 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Bowdoin College. 51% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (414 degrees), 4.81 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (86 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $64,304, which is $35,024 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($29,280).

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at Bowdoin College was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 153 total borrowers.

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Bowdoin College is $64,304, which is $35,024 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($29,280).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $23,110.

In 2023, 51% of undergraduate students attending Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 10% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$64,304

2023 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2023, the cost of tuition at Bowdoin College was $64,304. The cost of tuition at Bowdoin College is $35,024 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($29,280).

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

Average Net Price

$23,110

2023 Value

1.47%

1 Year Growth

In 2023 Bowdoin College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $23,110. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price of Bowdoin College grew by 1.47%.

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

$16,772

Room and Board

$840

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Bowdoin College was of $16,772 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 5.5% between 2022 and 2023.

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

51%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

10%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

51% of undergraduate students at Bowdoin College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. This represents a decline of 3.77% with respect to 2022, when 53% 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.

2020 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at Bowdoin College was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 153 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 10,966 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 17% annual growth. Out of those 10,966 applicants, 879 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 8.02% acceptance rate.

There were 1,850 students enrolled at Bowdoin College in 2023. 37% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Bowdoin College has an overall enrollment yield of 57.3%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

8.02%

Acceptance Rate in 2023

879

Accepted Out of 10,966

In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Bowdoin College was 8.02% (879 admissions from 10,966 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 9.19%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 17%, while admissions grew by 1.97%.

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

37%

Submission Percentage (2023)

185

Scores Submitted (2023)

37% of enrolled first-time students at Bowdoin College in 2023 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 1,850 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 1,845 students and the part-time enrollment is 5. This means that 99.7% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 52.5% White, 13.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11% Asian, 10.2% Two or More Races, 5.46% Black or African American, 0.162% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.108% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Bowdoin College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (28.3%), followed by White Female (25.9%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (7.81%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

99.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Bowdoin College in 2023, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,850 students. The full-time enrollment at Bowdoin College is 1,845 and the part-time enrollment is 5. This means that 99.7% of students enrolled at Bowdoin College are enrolled full-time compared with 78.8% 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

98%

2023 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 98%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (74%), 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 (2023)

White
971 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
248 enrolled students
Asian
204 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Bowdoin College is 52.5% White, 13.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11% Asian, 10.2% Two or More Races, 5.46% Black or African American, 0.162% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.108% 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 53.2% White, 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.9% 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, 4 students (0.216%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2023, 13 more women than men received degrees from Bowdoin College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Bowdoin College is white (414 degrees awarded). There were 4.81 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (86 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Bowdoin College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (85 degrees awarded), followed by General Political Science & Government (77 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (47 degrees).

In 2023, 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 (47 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (191 degrees), and Physical Sciences (45 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 (436,201 people), Other managers (352,536 people), Postsecondary teachers (244,085 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (197,138 people), and Secondary school teachers (172,528 people).

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College in 2023 are Cultural & Gender Studies (47 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (191 degrees), Physical Sciences (45 degrees), History (26 degrees), and Math & Statistics (41 degrees) (as of 2023).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Diagnostic medical sonographers

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 Diagnostic medical sonographers, Surgeons, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Physicians, and Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

The most specialized majors at Bowdoin College are Cultural & Gender Studies (47 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (191 degrees), Physical Sciences (45 degrees), History (26 degrees), and Math & Statistics (41 degrees) (as of 2023).

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 (727,597 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (596,332 people), Legal services (391,424 people), Computer Systems Design (350,533 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (243,301 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 (2023)

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
85 degrees awarded
General Political Science & Government
77 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
47 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Bowdoin College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 85 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

327

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2023

340

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2023

In 2023, 327 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College, which is 0.962 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 2023, 62 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 2.7 times more than the 23 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2023, 31 degrees were awarded to men at Bowdoin College in General Political Science & Government, which is 0.674 times less than the 46 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

89%

100% Completion Time

94%

150% Completion Time

In 2023, 89% 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.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at Bowdoin College is Female and White (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Non-resident Alien Male students have the highest graduation rate (65.7%).

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, 0.837% of graduates (4 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2023)

White
414 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
86 degrees awarded
Two or More Races
45 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Bowdoin College is white (414 degrees awarded). There were 4.81 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (86 degrees).

0.9% of degree recipients (6 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2023)

White Male
211 degrees awarded
White Female
203 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
50 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Bowdoin College is white male (211 degrees awarded). There were 1.04 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (203 degrees).

Operations

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.42B, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 10.1M (0.418%) compared to the 4.79% average return (2.46M on 51.4M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2023, Bowdoin College had a total salary expenditure of 214M. Bowdoin College employs 71 Assistant professors, 67 Professors and 60 Associate professors. Most academics at Bowdoin College are Male Assistant professor (37), Female Associate professor (36), and Male Professor (35).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College are: Service, with 205 employees, Management, with 137 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 97 employees.

Endowment

$2.42B

2023 Endowment

2.05%

decline from 2022

Bowdoin College has an endowment valued at about $2.42B, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The endowment of Bowdoin College declined 2.05% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.37B 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

$88.3M

2023 Salaries

5.34%

growth from 2022

In 2023, Bowdoin College paid a median of $88.3M in salaries, which represents 41.2% of their overall expenditure ($214M) and a 5.34% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 12.6% growth between 2021 and 2022, and a 0.276% decline between 2020 and 2021.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.7M (37.9% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$27.8M

Instructional Salaries

220

Number of Employees

In 2023, Bowdoin College paid a total of $27.8M to 220 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $552k (3.27%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

71 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

205 Employees

In 2023, the most common positions for instructional staff at Bowdoin College were Assistant professor with 71 employees, Professor with 67 employees, and Associate professor with 60 employees.

In 2023, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Bowdoin College were Service with 205 employees, Management with 137 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 97 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2023)

Male Assistant professor
Female Associate professor
Male Professor

In 2023, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Bowdoin College was Male Assistant professor with 37 employees, Female Associate professor with 36 employees, and Male Professor with 35 employees.

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

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