Admissions Details
- Acceptance Rate
- 9.2%
- Average SAT
- 1,510
- SAT Range (25th–75th)
- 1,460–1,560
- ACT Composite (avg)
- 34
- Total Enrollment
- 1,846
Admissions Overview
Bowdoin College is highly selective with a 9.19% acceptance rate. This means fewer than 1 in 10 applicants get admitted, making it one of the most competitive liberal arts colleges in the country. The middle 50% of students score between 1460-1560 on the SAT or around 34 on the ACT. The college has been test-optional since 1969, pioneering this approach decades before most schools. Bowdoin seeks intellectually curious students who thrive in small classroom settings and value community over competition. The school particularly attracts students interested in rigorous academics without the pressure of Greek life, given its longstanding ban on fraternities and sororities.