Warren Wilson College vs Bowdoin College

Warren Wilson College and Bowdoin College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and student experiences. Warren Wilson, a liberal arts college nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, prides itself on its experiential learning approach, emphasizing hands-on engagement and community involvement. Bowdoin, a highly selective liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine, boasts a rich history, a stunning coastal campus, and a strong focus on academic excellence. While both colleges share a commitment to providing a transformative education, they differ in their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body 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	Warren Wilson College
Overview
Location	Brunswick, Maine	Swannanoa, North Carolina
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	97.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.8%	77.4%
Application fees	$65	$75
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score		28.0%
Total number of applicants	9,325	1,146
Total number of admissions given out	822	887
Admitted students who chose to enroll	517	225
Yield rate	62.9%	25.4%
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	$56,080
Average net price	$26,727	$25,611
Tuition	$57,776	$37,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,630 Meal plan: $8,268	$11,750
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $45,153	99.0% Average amount $28,389
Students receiving federal student loan	11.0% Average amount $4,767	71.0% Average amount $4,976
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $20,700	4.0% Average amount $13,032

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,951 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	723 Men 33.9% Women 66.1%
Graduate students	N/A	80 Men 32.5% Women 67.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	N/A
International students	7.1%	3.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,913	825
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	English Language and Literature Social Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Psychology History
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.8%	39.0%
Dropout rate	2.2%	61.0%
Transferred out	4.0%	N/A
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	Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,465 Year 2: $20,530 Year 3: $25,616 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,717 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,188 Year 2: $17,624 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,401 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,469 Year 2: $12,356 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A

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