Maine's pioneering liberal arts college, founded 1855, with rigorous academics and a commitment to social responsibility.
Bates offers 38 majors and 29 minors across humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. All undergraduates complete a senior thesis or capstone. The college maintains a 9:1 student-faculty ratio with average class size of 15 students; 100% of faculty hold the highest degree in their field. The unique 4–4–1 calendar includes two regular semesters plus a 5-week spring Short Term for intensive single-course study. Notable strengths include economics (most-cited liberal arts department per 2001 NSF study), biology, mathematics, and physics; the college also offers a Liberal Arts-Engineering Dual Degree with Dartmouth, Columbia, and Washington University.
The historic 109-acre Lewiston campus centers on the Historic Quad with Hathorn Hall as its iconic building. Bates also manages 600 acres of the Bates–Morse Mountain Conservation Area and an 80-acre coastal center on Atkins Bay. The college houses the Stephens Observatory (with a 12-inch Newtonian telescope), the Bates College Museum of Art, and Olin Arts Center. Student life includes 110 clubs, the Brooks Quimby Debate Council (oldest coeducational debate team in the nation), a cappella groups, and traditions like Ivy Day and Winter Carnival. The college has no fraternities or sororities by design.
For the Class of 2029, Bates admitted 15% of applicants. The college is test-optional since 1984; middle 50% SAT scores (for submitters) were 710–760 (EBRW) and 720–750 (Math), with ACT 32–34. The average high school GPA was 3.71 (unweighted). Bates practices need-blind admission for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA, undocumented, and U.S. high school graduates, meeting all demonstrated need. The college does not offer merit or athletic scholarships. For 2025–26, comprehensive cost (tuition, room, board, fees) is $89,930.
Bates alumni include 86 Fulbright Scholars, 22 Watson Fellows, 5 Rhodes Scholars, 7 Emmy winners, 5 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 12 U.S. Congress members. The college has produced 12 Olympic athletes. The Center for Purposeful Work supports career exploration, internships, and graduate school preparation. Average federal student loan debt for the Class of 2025 was $13,279—less than half the national average. The college awarded $47.8 million in grants in 2024–2025, with an average need-based grant of $58,518.