Bates College
Lewiston, ME · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Bates College admitted 13.3% of applicants university-wide (1,336 of 10,027).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 13.3% | 1,336 | 10,027 |
| In-state | 20.1% | 72 | 359 |
| Out-of-state | 24.6% | 1,108 | 4,506 |
| International applicants | 3.0% | 154 | 5,162 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 31.2% | 250 | 800 |
| Men | 12.2% | 612 | 5,012 |
| Women | 14.5% | 724 | 5,007 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 31.2%, vs 13.3% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Of 1,336 admitted students, 488 enrolled (36.5% yield).
Bates College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 31–34
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Bates College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $89,850/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $66,590 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $23,260 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $89,850/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $2,397 |
| $30k–48k | $8,958 |
| $48k–75k | $11,336 |
| $75k–110k | $19,468 |
| Over $110k | $45,886 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Bates College Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Bates College Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies, up to full demonstrated need (Need Based)
- Bates College Scholar — Varies (Merit)
International applicants
Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.
- Bates College Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Bates College Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies, up to full demonstrated need (Need Based)
- Bates College Scholar — Varies (Merit)
Bates College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Official School Transcript
- School Report/Profile
- Counselor Recommendation (1)
- Teacher Recommendation (1)
- Additional Recommendation (optional, max 1) (optional)
- Senior Year Grades/Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional) (optional)
- Early Decision Agreement
- Arts Supplement (optional) (optional)
International applicants
- Official School Transcript
- School Report/Profile
- Counselor Recommendation (1)
- Teacher Recommendation (1)
- Additional Recommendation (optional, max 1) (optional)
- Senior Year Grades/Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional) (optional)
- Early Decision Agreement
- Arts Supplement (optional) (optional)
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Bates College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:
- Why are you interested in attending Bates College?300 words · Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $69,498
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 89.7%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 91.3%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $14,275
- At graduation
Bates College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #24
- WSJ: #367
- Forbes: #100
- Niche: #72
Deadlines
- 2026-11-15Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-15Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Bates College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Social sciences (27%), Biological & life sciences (22%), Psychology (11%).
Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 62% of class sections have under 20 students.
Bates College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.