Bowdoin Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Bowdoin College Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Bowdoin College to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Bowdoin College (Bowdoin)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Bowdoin's acceptance rate is 7.13% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 13,265 students applied and 946 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Bowdoin.

To apply to Bowdoin, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered.

Bowdoin's acceptance rate places 2nd out of 16 Maine colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1520 and the ACT score is 34 at Bowdoin. Bowdoin's SAT score ranks 1st out of 9 Maine colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Bowdoin's yield rate is 53.59%, which is moderately lower by 9.13 percentage points (approximately 14.6% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Bowdoin at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Bowdoin's acceptance rate is 7.13% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 53.59%. 6,244 men and 7,013 women applied to Bowdoin and 434 men and 511 women students were accepted.

Among them, 232 men and 275 women were enrolled in Bowdoin. You can explore the Bowdoin's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Bowdoin
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	13,265	6,244	7,013	0	0
Admitted	946	434	511	0	0
Enrolled	507	232	275	0	0
Acceptance Rate	7.13%	6.95%	7.29%	-	-
Yield	53.59%	53.46%	53.82%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Bowdoin College 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 158 students (31% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 85 students (17% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Bowdoin.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,520, including 750 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 770 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 770 and the 25th percentile is 730. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 780 and the 25th percentile is 740.

The median ACT composite score is 34, with a 75th percentile score of 35 and a 25th percentile score of 33 at Bowdoin. The median ACT Math score is 32 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Bowdoin's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Bowdoin College are competitive and high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,295, ACT: 29 - private (not-for-profit) baccalaureate college - arts & sciences).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Bowdoin
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,470	1,520	1,550
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	730	750	770
SAT Math	740	770	780
ACT Composite	33	34	35
ACT Math	30	32	34
ACT English	35	35	36

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Bowdoin College 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, Recommendations, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Bowdoin. The english proficiency test is not required, but considered.

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Bowdoin College.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Bowdoin Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Considered, if submitted
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Considered, if submitted
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Considered, if submitted
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Bowdoin:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/
Online Application: https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/apply/
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Bowdoin?

Bowdoin is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 7.13%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Bowdoin?

Bowdoin recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Bowdoin is 1,520, and the average ACT score is 34. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Bowdoin require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Bowdoin requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Bowdoin admission?

Yes, Bowdoin requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Bowdoin does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Bowdoin requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Bowdoin recommends submitting an English proficiency test for international applicants, but it is not strictly required.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Bowdoin?

The institutional SAT code for Bowdoin is 3089 and 4-digit ACT code is 1636.