Bowdoin College vs Colorado College

Bowdoin College and Colorado College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Bowdoin, nestled in Brunswick, Maine, boasts a lower acceptance rate (10%) and a smaller student body (1,800 undergraduates) compared to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which has an acceptance rate of 14% and a larger student body (2,100 undergraduates). While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Bowdoin is known for its strengths in government and economics, while Colorado College is recognized for its programs in environmental science and psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences in student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Bowdoin College logo

Bowdoin College

Colorado College logo

Colorado College

Overview

Location Brunswick, Maine Colorado Springs, Colorado
Campus setting Town: Fringe City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.8% 14.3%
Application fees $65
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 9,325 10,975
Total number of admissions given out 822 1,564
Admitted students who chose to enroll 517 620
Yield rate 62.9% 39.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,310 $79,562
Average net price $26,727 $30,200
Tuition $57,776 $61,596
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,630

Meal plan: $8,268
Room/dormitory: $8,052

Meal plan: $5,616
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

54.0%
Average amount $45,153
57.0%
Average amount $48,666
Students receiving federal student loan 11.0%
Average amount $4,767
26.0%
Average amount $5,010
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $20,700
1.0%
Average amount $26,825

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,951
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
2,241
Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students N/A 25
Men 20.0% Women 80.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 91.5% N/A
International students 7.1% 6.6%
Campus local/setting Town: Fringe City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,913 1,745
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Maine Connecticut New Jersey N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 93.8% 85.7%
Dropout rate 2.2% 2.2%
Transferred out 4.0% 11.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $122,292
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $83,803
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,127
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $77,719
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,934
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $60,473
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,244
  • Year 2: $42,123
  • Year 3: N/A
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,658
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,454
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,092
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $59,954
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,396
  • Year 2: $20,482
  • Year 3: $29,045
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,826
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $16,137
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,555
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: N/A
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,472
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A

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