College Profiles/ Bowdoin College
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Bowdoin College Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
Brunswick, ME · 2,023 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Bowdoin College for fall 2027, verified against the school’s own Common Data Set, cost of attendance and admissions pages, with ConnectPrep’s strategic read.
By Jeremy Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep
Updated October 11, 2026 · Data verified against official sources
✓ Every figure cited
Quick answer
Bowdoin College admitted 6.8% of 14,045 first-year applicants.[1] The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $97,900.[2] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 15, Early Decision II Jan 5, Regular Decision Jan 5.[3]
6.8%
Overall admit rate[1]
33 to 35
Middle 50% ACT[4]
$97,900
Cost of attendance, 2026-2027[2]
$2.9B
Endowment, FY2025[1]
92.0%
Six-year graduation rate[5]
Bowdoin College at a Glance
- Location
- Brunswick, ME
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 8:1[1]
- Endowment
- $2.9 billion (FY2025)[1]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Optional[3]
- Application
- Common App, Coalition (Scoir), QuestBridge[3]
- First-year retention
- 98.0%[5]
The ConnectPrep Take on Bowdoin College
The ConnectPrep take
Bowdoin says the overall academic record is by far the most important credential, and it looks for curiosity and a willingness to take intellectual risks. Every file is read individually, weighing course challenge, grades, recommendations, writing, involvement and character. With a 6.8% admit rate, the transcript must show hard courses chosen on purpose. Your student can commit through ED I on Nov 15 or ED II on Jan 5, the same day as Regular Decision. Bowdoin has been test optional for more than 50 years and lets applicants decide test by test, changing that choice until the deadline; a higher score still helps. Aid is need-blind for all applicants and loan free, with no merit scholarships. The common mistake is booking an alumni interview too late: ED II and RD booking closes Dec 31.
What to do this fall
- Book an alumni interview by Nov 15 for ED I or by Dec 31 for ED II and RD.
- Show intellectual risk in the essays: a hard course taken by choice, or a question your student pursued beyond class.
- Decide test by test whether scores help, and remember the choice can change until the deadline.
- Submit the optional video response by Nov 24 for ED I or Jan 20 for ED II and RD.
Applying to Bowdoin College? Get a free strategy session. We map your student’s round, testing plan, essays and every scholarship deadline for this school.
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Bowdoin College Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| All first-year applicants[1] |
14,045 |
957 |
6.8% |
- Yield, the share of admitted students who enrolled, was 53.8%.[1]
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[4] |
730 to 770 |
| SAT Math[4] |
740 to 780 |
| ACT composite[4] |
33 to 35 |
Test score ranges on this page come from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, which reports an earlier entering class than the school’s newest Common Data Set.[4]
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 770 in Reading and Writing and 780 in Math, the 75th percentile for each section here, or 35 on the ACT. A higher score is always better, and the test can be retaken. Not there yet? Take a free practice test and we will build the plan to close the gap.
What Bowdoin College looks for
In its own words: Bowdoin looks for students who demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to take intellectual risks. The overall academic record is by far the most important credential, and every application is read individually by people, weighing course challenge, grades, recommendations, writing, involvement, and character.[7]
Bowdoin College Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 15 |
mid-Dec (ED I); early Feb (ED II) |
| Early Decision II |
Jan 5 |
|
| Regular Decision |
Jan 5 |
mid-Mar |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Bowdoin College’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
Alumni virtual interview booking
Before RD |
Nov 15 (ED I); Dec 31 (ED II, RD) |
Alumni interviews for ED II and RD can only be booked through Dec 31, before the Jan 5 deadline; ED I booking runs Oct 1 to Nov 15. On-campus and student interviews are booked through the admissions portal.[8] |
| Financial aid |
Nov 1 (QuestBridge); Nov 15 (ED I); Jan 5 (ED II); Feb 1 (RD) |
ED aid is due with the application; RD aid is due Feb 1.[3] |
| Arts supplement |
Nov 1 (QuestBridge); Nov 15 (ED I); Jan 13 (ED II, RD) |
Optional arts supplement; ED I supplement is due the same day as the application.[3] |
| Optional video response |
Nov 1 (QuestBridge); Nov 24 (ED I); Jan 20 (ED II, RD) |
Optional video response opens in late October.[3] |
See how Bowdoin College compares with other colleges in the Northeast deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Bowdoin College Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (2026-2027)[2] |
$97,900 |
| Tuition[2] |
$74,268 |
| First-years awarded need-based aid[9] |
50.0% |
| Average total financial aid package[9] |
$72,883 |
| Average share of need met[9] |
100.0% |
Resident student budget: tuition 74,268, fees 700, housing 10,106, food 10,326 (21-meal plan), books 840, personal 1,660; transportation varies, so the published total is $97,900+.[2]
- Bowdoin College states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[9]
- Aid packages are loan-free.[9]
- International students: Need-blind. Bowdoin states it is need blind for international students and meets the full calculated need of all admitted applicants, domestic and international.[7]
What families actually pay: net price by income
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the average grants and scholarships for first-year students receiving aid, by family income. It comes from federal data, which runs a year or two behind the school’s current cost figures.[4]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $0 to $30,000 |
$3,145 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 |
$2,800 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 |
$9,007 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 |
$13,801 |
| Over $110,000 |
$35,196 |
| All aided students |
$14,398 |
Academics and Majors at Bowdoin College
Signature programs
Schiller Coastal Studies Center
Listed by Bowdoin among the college facilities students can explore.[10]
Bowdoin Scientific Center on Kent Island
An island field facility that Bowdoin lists among the college facilities students can explore.[10]
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
An on-campus museum that Bowdoin lists among the college facilities students can explore.[10]
Summer research and honors projects
Bowdoin reports that over 50% of its students complete summer or honors projects.[10]
Choosing a major and getting in
Students apply to the college as a whole rather than to a major. Bowdoin students do not declare a major until the second semester of sophomore year.[10]
Special admission paths
- Early Decision I (binding, decisions mid-December).[7]
- Early Decision II (binding, decisions by early February).[7]
- QuestBridge National College Match partner.[7]
- Application fee waiver for students seeking financial aid and first-in-family applicants.[7]
Bowdoin College Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[5] |
98.0% |
| Graduated within six years[5] |
92.0% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[4] |
$82,735 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[4] |
$18,500 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[4] |
17% |
Make Bowdoin College a realistic goal
ConnectPrep builds the full plan: the right round, a score target and test schedule, essays that sound like your student, and every scholarship and program deadline on one calendar. Start with a free consultation or a free practice test.
Compare Similar Colleges
Bowdoin College FAQs
What is the Bowdoin College acceptance rate?
Bowdoin College admitted 6.8% of first-year applicants (957 of 14,045).
When are the Bowdoin College application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 15; Early Decision II Jan 5; Regular Decision Jan 5. 1 scholarship, honors or program deadlines come before Regular Decision; see the insider deadlines table on this page.
How much does Bowdoin College cost?
The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $97,900. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
Is Bowdoin test optional?
Yes. Bowdoin has been test optional for more than 50 years. Applicants choose for each test whether the committee should consider it, and they may change that choice until the deadline. We still advise preparing seriously, since a higher score is always better and the test can be retaken, and then sending results that strengthen the file.
Does Bowdoin offer merit scholarships?
No. Bowdoin offers no merit scholarships, and it meets the full calculated need of all admitted applicants, domestic and international, without loans. It is need-blind for international students as well. Aid is due Nov 15 for ED I, Jan 5 for ED II, and Feb 1 for Regular Decision.
About the author
Jeremy Fine
Jeremy Fine founded ConnectPrep in 2013 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education, spanning test preparation, college advising and academic program management. He holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh.
ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut, and works with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person and online. Meet the team.
This profile is an independent ConnectPrep resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bowdoin College. Figures come from the sources listed above as published when checked in October 2026; the Common Data Set year is noted where used. Policies and costs change, so confirm with the school before applying.
