Bowdoin College is a nationally recognized liberal arts college of about 2,000 students located in beautiful mid-coast Maine. Bowdoin represents an idea that if you give smart, kind young people access to one of the best educations on earth, they will use it to create good in the world. We choose our students, who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, because they are thoughtful, curious, and willing to take risks. At Bowdoin they collaborate across our writing seminars, field research, and through eighty majors and minors to work hard towards the common good.

Academic Programs

  • Arctic Studies
  • Art & Design
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Government/Political Science
  • Liberal Arts
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
  • Research
  • Science
  • Social Science
  • Visual Arts

Student experience

  • Athletics
  • Co-op/Internship Opportunities
  • Disability Services
  • Intramural/Club Sports
  • LGBTQIA Services
  • On-Campus Housing
  • Study Abroad
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Veteran Fee Waiver

Application information

Find out about requirements, fees, and deadlines

First-year

First-year students are students who have never matriculated at another college or university. Students who have taken some college-level work while enrolled in secondary school should apply as first-year candidates. Early Decision 1 Application Deadline: November 15. Early Decision 2 Application Deadline: January 5. Regular Decision Application Deadline: January 5. Bowdoin automatically waives the $65 application fee for students who are applying for financial aid or who are first-generation-to-college (neither parent graduated from a four-year college or university).

Transfer

Any student who has been enrolled in a degree-granting program must apply as a transfer student. Transfer applicants should submit the Common Application by the March 1 deadline. Bowdoin requires both high school and college transcripts for admission as well as the College Report and two academic evaluations from faculty at your current institution. Transfer admission to Bowdoin is extremely competitive. We generally receive between 150-200 transfer applications, and we admit five to twenty candidates. Bowdoin offers a fall transfer program and, on rare occasions, mid-year admission.

Additional Information

Bowdoin’s financial support is behind you throughout your college journey—going well beyond tuition, housing, and and food to include things like studying abroad, internships, personal computing, and more. This means you can concentrate on just being a Bowdoin student. And, when you graduate, you can focus on whatever comes next—without student debt limiting your options.

Bowdoin is need blind for all applicants, which means that your ability to pay is never a factor or barrier to admission. Bowdoin meets your full calculated need using need-based scholarships—not loans—which never have to be paid back.

Nearly half of our enrolled students receive need-based aid from Bowdoin and the College stands firm in its decision to eliminate student loans from student financial aid packages. Our online calculators are a great starting point to estimate our financial aid eligibility—or contact our Student Aid office to have your questions answered directly. 

Visit us

Campus Tours and Information Sessions
Campus tours, led by current students, are available with advance registration. Self-guided campus tours and virtual tours are also available.

School seal

Admissions office

Visit us

School location
Address

5000 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011, United States of America

Phone number

(207) 725-3100

Region

New England

New England