Central College vs Bowdoin College

Central College and Bowdoin College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Central College, nestled in the heart of Pella, Iowa, is a private liberal arts college known for its strong academic programs and vibrant campus community. Bowdoin College, located in the charming town of Brunswick, Maine, is a private liberal arts college renowned for its rigorous academics, stunning coastal setting, and rich history. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover the unique strengths and characteristics of each institution and determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bowdoin College	Central College
Overview
Location	Brunswick, Maine	Pella, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	97.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.8%	74.5%
Application fees	$65	$25
SAT range	N/A	1000 - 1260
ACT range	N/A	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		10.0%
Students submitting ACT score		67.0%
Total number of applicants	9,325	2,202
Total number of admissions given out	822	1,641
Admitted students who chose to enroll	517	340
Yield rate	62.9%	20.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,310	$34,302
Average net price	$26,727	$22,966
Tuition	$57,776	$19,250
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,630 Meal plan: $8,268	Room/dormitory: $4,892 Meal plan: $5,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $45,153	100.0% Average amount $10,353
Students receiving federal student loan	11.0% Average amount $4,767	73.0% Average amount $5,605
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $20,700	13.0% Average amount $12,712

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,951 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	1,139 Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	N/A
International students	7.1%	0.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,913	1,405
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Maine Connecticut New Jersey	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Mathematics and Statistics	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Education Business English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.8%	66.1%
Dropout rate	2.2%	2.5%
Transferred out	4.0%	31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $104,192 Year 3: $122,292 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $83,803 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,127 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $77,719 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,934 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $60,473 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,244 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,658 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: N/A Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,454 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,045 Year 3: $57,439 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,169 Year 2: $44,542 Year 3: $50,519 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,119 Year 3: $48,234 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,721 Year 3: $41,814 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $40,707 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $37,077 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $33,927 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,790 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A

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