Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine

WAITLISTED

SETTING

Small liberal arts college in coastal Maine

SIZE

Small (~1,900 students)

ACADEMIC RIGOR

Very High

Environmental Programs

Environmental Studies

B.A. (Major/Minor)

  • Interdisciplinary program combining natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities
  • Schiller Coastal Studies Center for oceanside research
  • Strong liberal arts foundation
  • Field-based learning opportunities

Campus & Nature

Coastal Maine location with oceanside research facilities

  • Schiller Coastal Studies Center on the coast
  • Access to Maine forests and coastline
  • Beautiful New England campus
  • Walking distance to Brunswick town

Academic Rigor

Highly selective liberal arts college with strong environmental studies program

  • Highly selective admissions
  • Small class sizes and close faculty relationships
  • Research opportunities at Coastal Studies Center
  • Excellent graduate school preparation

Liberal Arts Access

  • Elite liberal arts with open curriculum, no distribution requirements
  • Top-ranked economics, government, history departments
  • Complete freedom to explore any discipline
  • Exceptional breadth and depth across all liberal arts

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Excellent liberal arts education and law school preparation
  • Unique coastal research opportunities
  • Small, close-knit community
  • Beautiful coastal Maine setting
  • Strong environmental studies program

Cons

  • No engineering program
  • Remote location in Maine
  • Very small school size
  • Cold winters

Student Voices

Real perspectives from students and alumni on third-party review sites

What Students Love

"Bowdoin CARES about your quality of life, and that's not true everywhere, while maintaining excellent academics. The housing is fantastic and the food is amazing (we have lobster bake at the start of every year and they have special meals for every holiday)."

— Freshman, 10 months ago

What Students Love

"The professors have been spectacularly formative, design thoughtful and compelling courses, and are interesting researchers and humans in their own right. Additionally, the amount of student funding is unparalleled; I've been able to pursue research opportunities and art workshops/conferences because of it."

— Junior, 8 months ago

Common Complaint

"My only major qualm is the lack of diversity: I was surprised by the concentration of wealth, and how majorly white Maine is overall."

— Junior, 8 months ago