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Bowdoin College

10.0(1)
VerifiedPrivate (Not for Profit)Estd. 1794
Founded
1794
Type
Private (Not for Profit)
University Guide

About Bowdoin College

Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.

Bowdoin College is a private educational institution that welcomes almost 1700+ students annually, of which, 10% are international students. The college offers 43 major and 45 minor courses to students and has an average class size of 20 students. In 2022, Bowdoin College recorded a student acceptance rate of 91%, wherein admissions were offered on the basis of GPA score (3.0) and IELTS score (7.0). Check: Bowdoin College Admissions for 2023-24

For its incoming students, Bowdoin College offers reasonable accommodation facilities. In terms of the cost, the college is comparatively inexpensive. An international student is expected to incur an estimated cost of $76,310. As per the reports of US News the starting salary of the former students of Bowdoin College is around $56,900.

Bowdoin College Rankings

As per the observations made by THE, Bowdoin College, ranked #42 in the US College rankings 2023. The college rankings made by other significant ranking agencies in the year 2023 are:

  • #5 out of 207 among the Best Colleges for Global studies in America
  • #6 in overall National Liberal Arts college in the year 2023.
  • Bowdoin College stands 29th as Most Innovative School.

Highlights

Year of Establishment 1794
Type of University Private
Number of UG Seats 1,805
Percentage of International students 10%
Annual acceptance rate 9%
Basic Tuition Fee $23,808 per year
Test scores Accepted SAT or ACT, IELTS or TOEFL
Employment Rate 91%
Application Fee 65$
Official website https://www.bowdoin.edu

Bowdoin College Campus and Accomodation

Campus life at Bowdoin College provides an unique experience with accommodation, library, student organizations, all within a single campus. Bowdoin College Museum of Art and Peary-MacMillan Art Museum are an integral part of the academic curriculum of the college.

Bowdoin takes care of students with complete safety and security. Every service is accessible to every student of the college. It also offers health & wellness services, counseling services, spiritual life advisers and recreation.

Residence

Bowdoin College offers dynamic residence facilities to the students in the form of residence halls, college houses, and apartments. Presently, the on-campus housing facility is offered to around 1,749 students.

  • Freshmen students are required to live on-campus and incur an average housing cost of $7,372.
  • For all the residential facilities, maximum of 19 meal plans per week
  • Bowdoin college has college houses that have 20-30 members.
  • The rents in off-campus housing costs from $500 to $1,500.

Bowdoin College Top Programs

Bowdoin College is a liberal art college with strengths in Science and Math. However, it offers various programs like Political Science, Economics & Finance, Creative Writing, etc. About 30% of students choose majors within Humanities and Fine Arts.

Presently, a total of 43 majors and 45 minors are available within 23 departments of Bowdoin College. The academic tuition fee for the year 2023-24 is $57,776 and another fee is about $546. Explore Bowdoin College courses

Bowdoin College Admissions

The international students seeking admission at Bowdoin college can apply through Common Application or Coalition. The general requirements for Bowdoin College mentioned below:

  • Academic Requirements: Completed 4 years each of English, foreign language, mathematics and social science and 3-4 years of laboratory science.
  • Language Proficiency: International students, who do not have English as their first language must submit submit scores for one of the following tests:
    • CEA: C1 Advanced
    • DET: 120
    • IELTS: 7.0
    • TOEFL-IBT: 100
    • Supporting Documents:
  • An official transcript of the academic year
  • Certified English translation of transcripts (if required)
  • An F-1 student visa
  • Teacher Evaluation (aka academic LOR)
  • Proof of available funds
  • Student Profile: Academic success, school and community involvement and overall academic potential are measured before admission.

Eligible students must submit their applications to Bowdoin College before the deadlines tabulated below:

Application Type Application Date
Early Decision 1 November 15
Early Decision 2 January 5
Regular Decision January 5
Transfer March 1

Bowdoin College Cost of Attendance

For the international students planning to pursue higher studies at Bowdoin College, the estimated cost is around $76,310. As per the college, the overall cost of attendance for in 2023 and its details are tabulated below:

Category Annual Cost
Tuition Fee $57,776 + $546 (other fees)
Cost of Room $7,630
Board $8,268
Books and Supplies $840
Personal Expenses $1,250

Bowdoin College Scholarship and Financial Aid

Bowdoin College also provides international student scholarships to study in USA.

Some of the scholarships offered at Bowdoin College are:

  • Tom Cassidy Student Support Fund
  • Charles Carroll Everett Scholarship
  • Timothy and Lynn Hayes Scholarship

As a first step, the international students must submit a CSS profile. To apply for a CSS profile visit the website. Instead of applying for a CSS profile, the students can also upload the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA).Eligibility for a student to apply for financial aid are:

  • A degree candidate
  • Exhibit the financial need through the institutional policies and procedures
  • The student must meet the academic standards of the college

Bowdoin College Placements

The Bowdoin College provides career services to the students which include career advising and programming. Though the college does not have a placement cell of its own, the career services help the students to develop their skills by establishing a good relationship between employers and students.

Furthermore, in order to help students attain better job opportunities, the college provides part-time jobs to students on-campus. This helps them adapt and improve skills like communication, time management and earn money for their livelihood.

Bowdoin College Alumni Network

After graduation, the alumni play a vital role in the college business and also give guidance to the students. As a routine, Bowdoin college invites the Alumni for sharing their experiences and guidance with the students. Some of the Notable Alumni are:

  • William Pitt Fesenden- 26th US Secretary of Treasury
  • Paul D Miller (1992)- Composer, writer and musician
  • Anthony Doerr (1995)- Pulitzer prize-winning Author
  • Deray Mckesson (2007)- Civil rights activist and Podcaster
  • Zohran Mamdani (2014)- New York State Assemblymember

As a liberal arts college, Bowdoin aims to cultivate the mind and imagination of the students. The UG degree courses in several disciplines and a wide choice of Majors and Minors subjects allow incoming students to explore and decide the most suitable career path for themselves.

FAQs

Ques. Which standardised tests are accepted for admission at Bowdoin College?

Ans. The students must get minimum marks in the following exams like SAT score of 1360 to 1510 and ACT score between 31-33. Also English qualifying exams like TOEFL, IELTS, DET or CEA.

Ques. Are there any Fee waiver options at Bowdoin College?

Ans. Yes.The College automatically waives the application fee for the common application and the coalition application. Also, the additional requirement of the family’s financial condition is considered.

Ques. What are the co-curricular opportunities provided by Bowdoin College?

Ans. The Unique feature of Bowdoin College is that it helps the students to relate the classroom learning with outside experiences. The college offers Off-campus study, student fellowship and research and health professions advisors.

Ques. How is the Campus life at Bowdoin College?

Ans. The students feel safe and comfortable on the campus and also whenever they have free time, they can visit Portland, Go for Skiing in Sugarloaf and Sunday River and also party on campus.

Ques. What is the annual acceptance rate of Bowdoin College?

Ans. The annual acceptance rate of Bowdoin College is 91%.

Ques. Are scholarships and financial aid available for international students?

Ans. International students must have a CSS profile to access all sorts of scholarships and financial aid by Bowdoin College.

Ques. What are the basic living expenses of the international students studying at Bowdoin College?

Ans. Students need to pay nearly $76,000 as their basic living expenses including tuition fees and accommodation.

Courses & Fees

Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way

Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.

Courses

23

Fee from

₹62,54,858.52

Exams

IELTS · TOEFL

Showing 5 of 23 bachelors

Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 60.2 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 64,304 /Yr
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page
Admission Guide

Admission Process

Founded in 1794, Located at Brunswick, Maine Bowdoin College is one of the most selective colleges to take admission with an acceptance rate of around 10%. The college is known to be one of the best colleges in Liberal arts. The college has 1805 students with 51% female students. In 2023 college received 9332 applications out of which only 832 students were admitted taking the acceptance rate to a new selective percentage of 8.9%.

Bowdoin College offers only undergraduate programs in over 40 academic areas mainly Government and Legal Studies, Economics, Mathematics, Biology, Environmental Studies, History, Computer Science, Neuroscience, English, and Psychology. 71% of classes of the college have less than 20 students and 97% of faculty are highly qualified in their areas of academics.

  • The College enrolls around 800 students. Around 61% of the total students are Whites, 10% are Hispanics or Latinos and approximately 9% of a total number of students is from more than 54 countries representing international student community on the campus.81% of the students come from outside the state and only 10% are from the state who get enrolled at the college.
  • Bowdoin College, known as one of the most selective colleges for admission has an acceptance rate of 10% and has a high 98% retention rate. The graduate percentage is approximately 95% and 93% of the graduating students are able to get jobs within 2 years of their passing out earning USD 65,500 per year on an average.
  • The College accepts admission applications for all the Fall sessions and gives an option of the early decision through different deadlines.
  • The College is ranked very highly at #6 in National Liberal Arts Colleges, #5 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, and #12 in Best Value Schools as per US News and World report.
  • Companies and institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte Consulting, Fulbright, Google, Teach for America, Facebook, Barclays, and US Government, including the State Department and the Department of Energy are known for recruiting Bowdoin graduates.
  • A nonrefundable admission application fee of USD 65 is charged by the college. The cost of attendance for an academic year is approximately USD 73,800.

Highlights

Admission requirements for international students Bowdoin accepts the common application and
coalition application at
.
Application Fee (Non-refundable) USD 65
Acceptance rate 10%
Mode of Payment Credit/Debit card or Check
Student-Faculty Ratio 9:1
SAT/ACT Optional/Not required
Academic Calendar Semester based
Intake Sessions Fall with Early decision option
Financial Aid Only Grants, and Scholarships, the college has no loans as aid.

Acceptance rate

Bowdoin College is very selective about the applicant they want to offer seats to. Total applicant was 9,402 and only 861 were admitted in 2022, acceptance rate of Bowdoin College was only 9.16%. Total international student were only 11% of entire population accepted.

Admission Deadlines

Bowdoin College, Maine USA accepts applications for the Fall semester with early decision deadlines which are given for reference. The applications have to be completed online either through the common application or the coalition application available on the website of the college.

Undergraduate

Semester Deadlines
Early Decision I Nov. 15
Early Decision II Jan. 1
Regular Decision Jan. 1
Transfer Mar. 1

Bowdoin College International Student Admissions

The students can make an online application through the university’s online portal.

Admission Requirements for International Students

  • Completed Online common or coalition application.
  • A non-refundable USD 65 application fee.
  • Submit official (translated in English) copies of all Academic records starting from High school and above through the institution.
  • English language proficiency test scores (TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or other accepted tests).
  • Scores of Standardized Exams to study in the USA are optional for admission.
  • An essay stating why you want to join the university. Interviews are preferred but not compulsory. Students can submit an additional letter of reference in lieu of an interview.
  • Submit a financial statement with original supporting documents from a reputed financial institution confirming that the applicant has sufficient funds to cover tuition.
  • Letters of recommendation to study in US
  • Passport ID pages Copy
  • Any other program-related documentation specified by the university.
  • The applicants may use the email address [email protected] for their admission related queries.
  • The college also accepts international transfer students.

Issuance of I20 or IAP 66 may take 6 to 8 week’s time. Applicants need to keep this in time and must start the application process keeping in mind the start date of the session they are applying for.

English Proficiency Test Score for International Students

International applicants have to demonstrate English proficiency through one of the internationally recognized standardized examinations in English. Applicants are also requested to check the course-wise specific requirements of different departments before seeking admission.

Undergraduate Students

Name of the test Minimum Required Scores
TOEFL iBT 100
IELTS 7.0
DET 120

Visa Process for International Students

Applicants must submit a complete application with all the documents after which they will receive Form I-20 or IAP66 from the Institute. The documents needed to receive I-20/IAP66 are :

  • Application form, Resume, Essay, and recommendation letters.
  • Copies ID pages of the passport
  • An official copy of the academic Transcripts of all qualifications achieved prior to seeking admission.
  • Proof of financial support (Bank statement/ Sponsor letter)
  • Passport pages showing identification, date of birth and residential address information
  • After receiving I-20, the applicant should apply for a student visa (F-1 visa) to study in the USA at the US Embassy by fulfilling the Embassy requirements of filing a completed application form and depositing the fee.
  • For obtaining a US visa, In-person interviews and Biometrics are compulsory, which should be scheduled and attended by the applicant at the nearest Embassy office.
  • Maintaining the timeline is extremely important and always factor in a week extra to avoid last minutes contingencies.

Additional information

  • Applicant can request application fee waiver, if such amount presents financial hardship to their family.
  • Bowdoin supplement is in ‘question” section of application. In that section there are certain compulsory questions which need to be filled. There is also an essay which is option.
  • Three recommendation letters are required out of which one should be from school counsellor, one from high school teacher who taught core academic subject like English, math, lab sciences, social sciences, and foreign languages and one from wither teacher or from someone who can speak about applicants contribution.
  • Standardized test score are optional for all international student, instead they accept English proficiency test.
  • Bowdoin College accepts TOEFL ITP Plus for china with Vericant interview. If applicant had English as their language of instruction for four years in high school then they can request for English requirement waiver.
  • Some additional material that applicant can provide to the university includes interview, art supplement or video response.
  • Interview is accepted through third party and the college does not take interview them elf for international student. It is not compulsory, applicant can submit additional recommendation letter in lieu of an interview.

Bowdoin College Undergraduate Admissions

The college offers only courses in over 40 academic areas mainly Government and Legal Studies, Economics, Mathematics, Biology, Environmental Studies, History, Computer Science, Neuroscience, English, and Psychology.

Requirements Bachelors in Computer science Bachelors in Environmental Studies Bachelors in Legal Studies Bachelors in Music
Application Online common or coalition application Online common or coalition application Online common or coalition application Online common or coalition application
Admission deadline Fall Fall Fall Fall
Transcripts Required Required Required Required
TOEFL iBT 100 iBT 100 iBT 100 iBT 100
IELTS 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
SAT/ACT Optional Optional Optional Optional
Recommendations Two academic/ professional references required Two academic/ professional references required Two academic/ professional references required Two academic/ professional references required and a performance portfolio is also needed.
Personal Essay Required (250-500 words) Required (250-500 words) Required (250-500 words) Required (250-500 words)
Financial Form Required Required Required Required
Decision time 3-4 weeks 3-4 weeks 3-4 weeks 3-4 weeks

The college has a very competitive admission procedure and requests the applicants to give an email address which is durable and is regularly used by the applicant. The college also tries to keep the financial needs to international students in mind and helps with grants and scholarships.

The college also advises the applicants to request scheduling of interviews only after they have submitted their admission applicants if the applicants are interested in appearing for an interview with the admission committee.

For any admission related query the applicants may contact at [email protected].

FAQs

Ques. What is application fee for Bowdoin College?

Ans. Application fees of Bowdoin College $65USD.

Ques.  If I cancel my application, can I get my application fees back?

Ans. No, an application fee for Bowdoin College is non-refundable.

Ques. Can I request for application fee waiver?

Ans. If application fee would cause your family a financial hardship then you can request for application fee waiver.

Ques.  Which English proficiency test is accepted by Bowdoin College?

Ans. Bowdoin College accepts TOEFL, IELTS, duo lingo English test and Cambridge English assessment as proof of English proficiency.

Ques. Can I request for English proficiency requirement waiver?

Ans. If you have attended 4 year in high school which had English as their language of instruction then you can ask for English proficiency requirement waiver.

Ques.  What is the acceptance rate of Bowdoin College?

Ans. Acceptance rate of Bowdoin College was only 9.16% in 2022 and has record of being very selective.

Ques.  Is interview compulsory for international student?

Ans. No, interview is optional for all students. If you want to submit interview then you can but you will have to give interview to third party like Initial view or Vericant. If you can submit interview then you can submit additional recommendation in lieu of interview.

Ques.  Is test optional in Bowdoin College for international student?

Ans. Yes, test optional is applicable to all international students.

Ques.  Is their financial aid available for international student?

Ans. Yes, all international students have financial aid option like scholarship and grant.

Ques.  Is personal statement/essay optional for Bowdoin College?

Ans. Essay is optional for Bowdoin College but there is a question section in application where you will have to answer questions which are compulsory.

Placements & Recruiters

Bowdoin College Placement Details

Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in Brunswick, Maine, United States.

Recruiters
N/A
Salary Metrics
0/2
Placement Metric

Highest Package

N/A

Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.

Placement Metric

Average Package

N/A

Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.

Placement information is currently limited.

More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.

Rankings over the years

Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.

2019

Highlights
2019
  • Best overall country rank: #25
  • Overall: #25 in country
  • Top source: FORBES
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 2 ranking records in 2019

2020

Highlights
2020
  • Best overall country rank: #221
  • Overall: #221 in country
  • Top source: CWUR
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2020

2021

Highlights
2021
  • Best overall country rank: #221
  • Overall: #221 in country
  • Top source: CWUR
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2021

2022

Highlights
2022
  • Best overall country rank: #226
  • Overall: #226 in country
  • Top source: CWUR
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2022

2025

Highlights
2025
  • Best overall country rank: #236
  • Overall: #236 in country
  • Top source: CWUR
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2025

Contact Information

255 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME 04011

+1-207-725-3000

Student Reviews & Ratings

Overall sentiment and category-wise rating summary

Overall score

10.0/10
Top Rated

Based on 1 rating

Rating Breakdown

Visual summary of rating distribution and categories

Live Summary
Academic
10.0/10
Faculty
10.0/10
Infrastructure
10.0/10
Accommodation
10.0/10
Placement
10.0/10
Extracurricular
10.0/10