What Kind of School Is It, Exactly?
Bates is an undergraduate college focused on the arts and sciences. It is not a large university with graduate programs everywhere: it is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution, and the highest degree level it reports offering is the bachelor’s degree. That does not confirm that the exact major your child is interested in is offered there, or that it necessarily leads to that degree—that must be verified program by program, not from the school’s name.
The official classification places it among small, four-year, highly residential schools: at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students live in institution-owned or institution-controlled housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attend full time. Its admissions profile also places it in the most selective group. That label does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in—we will look at that number later, and it is worth reviewing before your daughter puts together her final list.
Physically, Bates is in Lewiston, Maine, in Androscoggin County, within the Lewiston-Auburn metropolitan area. Its census code places it within a city, but that tells you where it is, not how to get there. If your child plans to live at home and commute, drive the route yourself on a weekday at the actual time of your child’s classes. The time shown on the map is almost never the actual travel time.
One point worth clarifying right away: Bates is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. Bates not being on that list does not tell you which students it serves, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child will feel there. Ask directly what cultural centers currently exist, what student organizations are available, and—if possible—speak with someone who already attends.
A Small Community and Who Makes It Up
Bates has 1,753 students enrolled in total, all of them undergraduates—there is no graduate enrollment in this count. It is medium-sized within its comparison group: neither among the large schools nor among the smallest, but near the midpoint of the 941 selective private four-year schools that make up this census.
Now, something that matters from the outset to many Latino families: 9 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with its 941 peers, Bates falls below the group’s midpoint. That fact neither removes the school from consideration nor puts it on the list. It only tells you who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not “Should I cross it off?” but “What groups and support will be available to me there?”—and that answer comes from speaking with a current student, not from reading a statistic.
The undergraduate population is divided almost evenly between men and women: 51 out of every 100 are women. And here is a revealing fact about the kind of community Bates is: fewer than 25 out of every 100 first-time students had permanent residence in Maine itself—only 8 out of every 100 did. The rest come from other states or countries. In that sense, it is a community made up mostly of people who came from far away, not a local school.
Being small does not guarantee more attention for your child, just as being large does not guarantee more options. What matters is asking about the specific major, not the school as a whole.
How the Academic Year Works
Bates operates on a 4-1-4 calendar: four courses during four months, one intensive month with a single course, and another four courses during the following four months. It is a different pace from a traditional semester system, and your child should understand what studying that way feels like before committing.
Regarding prior credits, Bates reported that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit based on life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam: we do not know what scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling—do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In a recent year, Bates awarded 439 bachelor’s degrees across 14 fields of study. By far the largest was social sciences: 137 degrees, or 31 out of every 100 of the total. This counts degrees awarded, not people or the full catalog of majors, and it does not measure quality or what kind of job someone obtains afterward. Before deciding, ask about the exact major that interests your child: how many students graduated in it, how long they took, and what the actual curriculum is like.
The official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 10 to 1—a low figure compared with its 941 peers. But be careful: this aggregate ratio, by itself, does not demonstrate that more staff are available to each student, and it says nothing about the actual size of first-year classes. It is a data point that provides guidance, not confirmation.
Bates also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of its program for initial teacher certification. If any of these paths interests your child, it is a concrete starting point for asking admissions more questions.
Getting Into Bates: What They Require and How Many Get In
This is where many families feel the real weight of the word “selective.” Bates does not have open admissions. Of the nine considerations reviewed in this count, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants who need one. Put simply, gathering paperwork is not enough. The essay is required, so your child must write—and write well.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: the high school grade-point average, class rank, completion of the curriculum the college requires, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether someone in the family attended Bates. On that last point, if it does not apply to your child, do not spend energy on it. Spend that energy on what is within your child’s control.
The published application fee is $60.
And now the figure that carries the most weight: in the 2023 cycle, Bates received 8,937 first-time applications and offered 1,164 places. That is 13 out of every 100. Compared with its 942 selective peers, Bates is among the schools that accept the smallest shares of applicants—nine out of ten schools in that group accepted a higher percentage of those who applied. On the other side of that calculation are 7,773 applicants who did not receive an offer.
I want to be clear about this because it matters: this number says how many places were offered. It says nothing about your child’s worth. A low percentage does not make a school better, and a high one does not make it worse. A healthy list includes schools on both sides—some as selective as this one, and others that accept most applicants.
Of those who did receive a yes, about half—43 out of every 100—decided to enroll at Bates. That is a high proportion compared with its peers. But this number does not measure quality or prestige, only how many admitted students chose to enroll. When the admission letters arrive, this percentage should not decide for you: place the offers side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding tests, the SAT and ACT are not required at Bates. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—only 14 out of every 100 did so—the middle half scored between 700 and 740 in reading and writing, and between 700 and 770 in mathematics. Those numbers come from a minority who chose to submit scores, not from all applicants, and they do not prove that the scores were used in the decision to admit them.
And regarding transfers: the transfer-out rate is low. Of the cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, only 7 out of every 100 appear as having transferred to another school without completing here—a figure on the low side compared with its peers. Incoming transfer enrollment is also minimal: just 8 students entered through that route in the fall of 2023. If your child were to arrive as a transfer student, this figure does not say how many courses Bates would accept—that must be requested in writing, with the course list in hand, before making the move.
The Published Price, Number by Number
At Bates College, among 19 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $4,263. Among 19 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $8,602; among 76 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $49,109. For dependent students, the bracket combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income bracket (19 students) and the average for the highest-income bracket (76 students) is $44,846. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant aid, the average was $26,658.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Bates falls in the least expensive quartile for the lowest-income families after grant aid is subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a factor that carries weight when you decide which schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income bracket to another, identifying your bracket correctly comes first. The income brackets in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter you receive is what governs.
How Bates Is Paid for in Practice
At Bates, 40 out of every 100 students received a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid. The other 60 received none of that aid. Compared with its 942 peers, Bates falls in the quartile where grant aid reaches fewer students. Among those who did receive it, the annual average was $52,190—but that average is not your offer. When the letter arrives, what matters is how much your family would have to pay out of pocket, and that is the number to compare across schools, not the size of the discount.
Only 10 out of every 100 students received a federal Pell Grant, the aid intended for families with demonstrated financial need. Do not assume it will arrive: before applying, ask for the complete list of grants and scholarships, who qualifies, and when each application is due.
Regarding loans, the figure is revealing: only 15 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 year. Most Bates students were not awarded a federal loan that year. Compared with its 942 peers, federal loans are used less here than at almost every other school in the group. Among those who did take out a loan, the average amount for the year was $5,251—a relatively low figure.
A student not appearing here does not mean that making it through the year required no effort. It only means that the student did not take out a federal loan; the difference could have been covered with grant aid, work, family savings, or another kind of debt not recorded in this report. And that average of $5,251 does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt—nor is it the total debt with which a student leaves after graduating, because that would require adding together several years, and that number is not provided here.
To manage payment, Bates reports an installment tuition plan as an available option.
Living There: Housing, Sports, and Everything Else
At Bates, living on campus is not optional for first-time, full-time students: it is required. Institution-controlled housing has capacity for 1,737 students. This matters greatly for the budget: when comparing this school’s price with another’s, include room and board from the beginning. Where living there is required, that expense cannot be removed from the calculation—tuition alone, without room and board, is misleading.
Bates did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its report—neither the general box nor any of the three military branches. Of the 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide, 926 did mark something; Bates was not among them. If your child’s plan depends on an ROTC scholarship, this does not mean that no nearby route exists—only that none was reported in this field. Ask admissions directly before ruling out the option.
Bates does compete in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA. This information does not identify which sports it offers, which division each one competes in, or whether it awards athletic scholarships. If sports are part of the plan, contact the coach for that sport directly and request the answer in writing.
Bates does not offer distance education—not even one course, at either the undergraduate or graduate level, according to its report. If your child needs scheduling flexibility because of work or caring for someone at home, the schedule would have to fit entirely in person.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeds the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government—a sign of an operation with real resources, although that threshold does not guarantee that it has databases specific to your child’s major. Ask about that by the name of the major.
As for general support, Bates reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities.
Those Who Stay and Those Who Finish
Here Bates shows strong numbers, and they are worth stating clearly. Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 94 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. Compared with its 930 peers, Bates is among the schools that retain the largest shares of their cohorts—nine out of ten similar schools retained an equal or smaller proportion.
Of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor’s degrees, 91 out of every 100 graduated within six years: 462 out of 510 students. By four years, the figure had already reached 85 out of every 100—just six points below the final six-year result, a sign that most finish within the expected time. Compared with its peers, Bates is among the schools that graduate the largest shares of students.
| Outcome | Bates College |
|---|---|
| Retention the following year | 94 out of every 100 |
| Graduation within 4 years | 85 out of every 100 |
| Graduation within 6 years | 91 out of every 100 |
| Degree or certificate within 8 years | 92 out of every 100 |
One additional figure, measured over eight years using a different cohort (the one that entered in 2015-16): 92 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Bates as of August 2023. The same calculation, conducted separately for students with Pell Grants, produced exactly the same figure: 92 out of every 100. The fact that the two figures match does not mean the path was the same for both groups.
Now, the truth that cannot be skipped: a high number is not a promise for your child in particular. It is what happened to a specific cohort, during specific years, at that school. What is within your control, and your child’s, is making sure that the credits are in order beginning with the first semester, that your child knows who the academic adviser is, and that your child finds out in time when registration opens for the courses required by the major. No percentage guarantees that. You build it together.
What This Article Cannot Tell You
We do not know what happens to Bates graduates after graduation: employment, salaries, or the debt they leave with. That information requires another source and is not authorized here. We also do not know your situation: what state you live in, how much you earn, what your child wants to major in, or whether you are willing to have your child live far from home for four years in Maine. Only you know that.
Combine this information with what your child actually wants to study, what your child has built so far in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination, not from this profile alone.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS and the United States Department of Education, with data corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Bates College or any government agency; this article is informational.