First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early decision Apply early, hear early, and you must enroll if admitted. Binding. | November 15, 2026 |
| Early decision II A second, later early decision round. Also binding. | January 5, 2027 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 5, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: bowdoin.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Bowdoin College course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 4 | n/a Yes* n/a *Minors may use a minimum score of 4…n/a Yes* n/a *Minors may use a minimum score of 4 on the AP exam to fulfill the statistics requirement of either minor and do not need to replace it with another course. | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 1* No ECON 1102 *Eligible to receive credit for…1* No ECON 1102 *Eligible to receive credit for ECON 1102, Principles of Macroeconomics. Credit will not be given if the student chooses to take ECON 1102. No major/minor credit. | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | Economics (ECON) 1* No ECON 1101 *Eligible to…Economics (ECON) 1* No ECON 1101 *Eligible to receive credit for ECON 1101, Principles of Microeconomics. Credit will not be given if the student chooses to take ECON 1050, Introductory Microeconomics and Quantitative Reasoning, or ECON 1101. No major/minor credit. | |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 1* No n/a | |
| Environmental Science | 5 | Environmental Studies (ENVS) 1* Yes* n/a *Must…Environmental Studies (ENVS) 1* Yes* n/a *Must complete ENVS 2201, Perspectives in Environmental Science, with a minimum grade of B-. | |
| European History | 4 | History (HIST) 1* No n/a *Must complete a HIST…History (HIST) 1* No n/a *Must complete a HIST 2000 level course or higher with a minimum grade of B. If a student has scores for more than one exam, only 1 total credit will be awarded. No major/minor credit. | |
| Art History | 4 | Art: Art History (ARTH) n/a No n/a Students may…Art: Art History (ARTH) n/a No n/a Students may replace one introductory Art History course (numbered 1100-1999) with any upper-level course for the art history major and art history minor. No major/minor credit. | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 1* No n/a |
Show all 16 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 4 | n/a Yes* n/a *Minors may use a minimum score of 4…n/a Yes* n/a *Minors may use a minimum score of 4 on the AP exam to fulfill the statistics requirement of either minor and do not need to replace it with another course. | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 1* No ECON 1102 *Eligible to receive credit for…1* No ECON 1102 *Eligible to receive credit for ECON 1102, Principles of Macroeconomics. Credit will not be given if the student chooses to take ECON 1102. No major/minor credit. | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | Economics (ECON) 1* No ECON 1101 *Eligible to…Economics (ECON) 1* No ECON 1101 *Eligible to receive credit for ECON 1101, Principles of Microeconomics. Credit will not be given if the student chooses to take ECON 1050, Introductory Microeconomics and Quantitative Reasoning, or ECON 1101. No major/minor credit. | |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 1* No n/a | |
| Environmental Science | 5 | Environmental Studies (ENVS) 1* Yes* n/a *Must…Environmental Studies (ENVS) 1* Yes* n/a *Must complete ENVS 2201, Perspectives in Environmental Science, with a minimum grade of B-. | |
| European History | 4 | History (HIST) 1* No n/a *Must complete a HIST…History (HIST) 1* No n/a *Must complete a HIST 2000 level course or higher with a minimum grade of B. If a student has scores for more than one exam, only 1 total credit will be awarded. No major/minor credit. | |
| Art History | 4 | Art: Art History (ARTH) n/a No n/a Students may…Art: Art History (ARTH) n/a No n/a Students may replace one introductory Art History course (numbered 1100-1999) with any upper-level course for the art history major and art history minor. No major/minor credit. | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 1* No n/a | |
| Drawing | 4 | 1* No n/a | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | Romance Languages and Literatures: Francophone…Romance Languages and Literatures: Francophone Studies (FRS) 1* No n/a *Must complete FRS 2305, Advanced French through Film, or higher level FRS course, with a minimum grade of B-. Credit will not be given if a student places into, or elects to take, a course lower than FRS 2305. Regardless of AP score, all students must take the placement exam. No major/minor credit. | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | German (GER) 1* No n/a *Must complete a…German (GER) 1* No n/a *Must complete a 3000-level GER course with a minimum grade of B-. Regardless of AP score, all students must take the placement exam. Normally, no major/minor credit. | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | Romance Languages and Literatures: Italian…Romance Languages and Literatures: Italian Studies (ITAL) 1* No n/a *Must complete ITAL 2305, Advanced Italian I, or higher level ITAL course with a minimum grade of B-. Credit will not be given if a student places into, or elects to take, a course lower than ITAL 2305. Regardless of AP score, all students must take the placement exam. No major/minor credit. | |
| Latin | 4 | Classics: Latin (LATN) 1* No n/a *Must complete a…Classics: Latin (LATN) 1* No n/a *Must complete a 3000-level LATN course with a minimum grade of B-. Regardless of AP score, students should complete placement questionnaire. No major/minor credit. | |
| Physics 1: Algebra Based | 4 | Physics and Astronomy (PHYS) n/a n/a PHYS 1130…Physics and Astronomy (PHYS) n/a n/a PHYS 1130 *Majors are exempt from taking PHYS 1130, Introductory Physics I, and do not need to take an additional course to replace PHYS 1130. Minors are also exempt from taking PHYS 1130, but must take at least four Bowdoin Physics courses. | |
| Studio Art: 3-D Design | 4 | 1* No n/a | |
| U.S. History | 4 | 1* No n/a |
Source: bowdoin.edu · checked September 23, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 63 |
| Political Science and Government | 60 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 42 |
| Computer Science | 33 |
| Neuroscience | 32 |
| Mathematics | 26 |
| English Language and Literature | 23 |
| History | 21 |
Show the other 27 majors
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 20 |
| Biochemistry | 19 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 19 |
| Physics | 15 |
| Sociology | 15 |
| Anthropology | 13 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 7 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 7 |
| Chemistry | 7 |
| Philosophy | 7 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 |
| African Studies | 7 |
| French Studies | 6 |
| Latin American Studies | 5 |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 5 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 4 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 4 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 4 |
| Spanish and Iberian Studies | 2 |
| Italian Studies | 2 |
| Russian Language and Literature | 1 |
| German Language and Literature | 1 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 |
| Chemical Physics | 1 |
| Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | 1 |
| Music | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Bowdoin College ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #19 for Biochemistryof 50 colleges
- #22 for Geology and earth sciencesof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division III, NESCAC
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Skiing, Soccer, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division III, NESCAC
Basketball, Field Hockey, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Other Sports, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
Coed varsity · NCAA Division III, NESCAC
Sailing
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), hillel.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
Town, near a city
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Portland-South Portland, ME
571,534 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
No
More about the place
Nearest airport
Portland International Jetport (PWM)
Nearest hub airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 12.2 of 20
Elevation
79 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
12°F
July high
79°F
Annual snowfall
66.8 in
Days at 90°F or higher
4 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,620 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Unity Environmental University15 mi
- Bates College18 mi
- Maine College of Art & Design23 mi
- University of Southern Maine23 mi
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine26 mi
- University of Maine at Augusta31 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
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Private nonprofit, town campus, NCAA Division III, similar size
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