Bates College

Quick Stats

2 Andrews Road
Lewiston, ME 04240: [map]

Phone: (207) 786-6255

2011-2012 Tuition

$55,300: comprehensive fee

Students

1,725: enrolled

46%: male /

54%: female

Admissions

Jan. 1: application deadline

31.8%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#21	National Liberal Arts Colleges

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Summary

Bates College is a private institution that was founded in 1855. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,725, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 109 acres. It utilizes a other-based academic calendar. Bates College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 21. Its comprehensive cost is $55,300 (2011-12).

Bates College—the first coeducational college in New England—is located in Lewiston, Maine, along the Androscoggin River. Its setting is favorable for outdoor enthusiasts; skiing, canoeing, beaches, Lake Auburn, and natural parks are all nearby. Approximately 95 percent of students live on campus in either a residence hall or one of Bates’ 25 Victorian homes, which house between 10 and 30 students each. Among the more than 110 student organizations are the Outing Club, which sponsors outdoor and adventure trips throughout the year; the Brooks Quimby Debate Council; and WRBC, the Bates radio station. About one-third of Bates students participate in varsity athletics, and the Bates Bobcats are members of the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Bates offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in a number of subjects. The General Education requirement is intended to provide students with a well-rounded education, but students still choose a specialized field of study from more than 30 available majors. If none of those are appealing, students have the option to design their own interdisciplinary major. About two-thirds of students take advantage of study abroad programs, and Bates’ unique academic calendar incorporates a short five-week spring term during which students can focus on a single topic or partake in an off-campus program.

School mission (as provided by the school):

Since 1855, Bates College has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion -- Amore ac Studio -- we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders sustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1855
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	other
Setting	urban
2010 Endowment	$198,547,532

Applying

When applying to Bates College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 1. The application fee at Bates College is $60. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 31.8 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	32%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	January 1

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Bates College is 10:1, and the school has 67.8 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Bates College include: Social Sciences; Psychology; History; Visual and Performing Arts; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 93.8 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

10:1

4-year graduation rate

84% - High

Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates

Social Sciences	29%
Psychology	11%
History	9%
Visual and Performing Arts	9%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences	8%

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Student Life

Bates College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,725, with a gender distribution of 46.1 percent male students and 53.9 percent female students. 93.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 7.0 percent of students live off campus. Bates College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at Bates College.

Total enrollment	1,725
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity	N/A
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority	N/A
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA III

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Campus Info & Services

Bates College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Bates College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Bates College, 30 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Bates College.

Students who have cars on campus	30% - Low
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At Bates College, 44.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $32,910.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Comprehensive fee	$55,300 (2011-12)
Room and board	N/A
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

One of the best things about Bates has to be the size--it's a small place which is home to a lot of tight-knit groups of friends, most of whom are on the lookout to meet new and exciting people. If you're looking to remain anonymous, I would say that Bates is probably not the school for you. Likewise, if you're looking to be in a bustling city, Bates is also probably not your speed. The Lewiston-Auburn area is about 60,000 people and primarily composed of blue-collar people, who are sometimes less than overjoyed to be reminded of the presence of an elite college in their midst. That said, I think that Lewiston often takes students by surprise both by being a big fat reality check for those from wealthy backgrounds, and by having far more to offer than one would initially assume. Frequent student complaints include the lack of things to do in Lewiston (I would write these folks off as not being adventurous enough), and people who are displeased with the lack of big-school resources at a small college.

Ben Junior

Bates is a home away from home - with all the good and bad that implies. The good is your friends become family, the staff are family, and the professors can become just that close. The bad is tensions do arise, just as in a family. It is a small campus that tends to become isolated (especially during the cold winter months!) from the rest of the world unless you make a concerted effort to expand your bubble and participate in the Lewiston/Auburn community. That closeness means you know everything about everyone, and they know everything about you. In reaction, most students -over half - spend at least a portion of their junior year abroad experiencing a new envrionment. This makes the campus more dynamic with a wide range of experiences. Everyone has a unique and interesting life story to tell that shapes the culture of Bates. In recent years there has been significant racial tension and complaints that Bates is not as welcoming to non-white ethnicities. Personally, I never found this to be the case. But in response to these concerns the administration is making a concentrated effort to expand our diversity. Bates is in a transition period where they are defining how we want the college to look in the next 50 years and the students are happily included in this process. The biggest complaint I have is the Bates Apathy - in an effort to accept everyone and PC, controversial topics are shied away from in daily conversation, though often discussed in the classroom.

Erin Alum

The students are the best part about Bates. They are all really friendly and enthusiastic about being at Bates. Most students are genuine, engaging, and caring. Since the student body is small, you really get to know most people in the school at least by their face. You do not see many strangers on campus. You also become very close with the people in your grade. I think this is a great size for the campus because you still meet new people each year, but you are not overwhelmed by a huge student body. You never get lost in the crowd. The big spots to hang out on campus are commons, milts, and anywhere outside when the weather is nice: the quad, football field, etc. The town of Lewiston is not too exciting and I don't think that students go there often. However, there are some nice restaurants if you want to go out and people take many trips to Walmart and Shaws during the week. There is a lot of school pride. A lot of students go to the school events, like sports games, plays, dance performances, concerts, etc. People are very eager to get involved and support their friends in activities. One experience that I will always remember is the puddle jump, a winter event in which students jump into the frozen pond. It was an exhilarating experience in which many students attended and cheered each other on. It is definitely an experience that all students should try at least once before they graduate.

Lily Junior

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* Overview details based on 2010 data

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Summary

General Information

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