Pomona College vs Bowdoin College

Pomona College and Bowdoin College, both highly selective liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Pomona, located in Claremont, California, boasts a diverse student body with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary studies and research opportunities. Bowdoin, situated in Brunswick, Maine, is known for its rigorous academic programs, vibrant arts scene, and commitment to community engagement. While both colleges share a reputation for academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bowdoin College	Pomona College
Overview
Location	Brunswick, Maine	Claremont, California
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
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%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.8%	6.6%
Application fees	$65	$70
SAT range	N/A	1470 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		37.0%
Students submitting ACT score		29.0%
Total number of applicants	9,325	11,620
Total number of admissions given out	822	771
Admitted students who chose to enroll	517	451
Yield rate	62.9%	58.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,310	$74,873
Average net price	$26,727	$17,000
Tuition	$57,776	$56,284
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,630 Meal plan: $8,268	Room/dormitory: $10,666 Meal plan: $7,858
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $45,153	57.0% Average amount $53,094
Students receiving federal student loan	11.0% Average amount $4,767	4.0% Average amount $4,273
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $20,700	6.0% Average amount $11,349

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,951 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	1,764 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	91.5%	N/A
International students	7.1%	11.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,913	1,612
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	Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.8%	93.0%
Dropout rate	2.2%	4.3%
Transferred out	4.0%	2.5%
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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $110,738 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: N/A Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,038 Year 2: $77,213 Year 3: N/A

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