Whitman College vs Bates College

Whitman College and Bates College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Whitman, nestled in the picturesque Walla Walla Valley, boasts a lower acceptance rate (29%) compared to Bates' 15%. With a larger student body, Whitman fosters a diverse community, while Bates' smaller size cultivates a close-knit atmosphere. While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Whitman emphasizes environmental studies and sciences, while Bates is known for its strength in economics and government. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and student life aspects, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bates College	Whitman College
Overview
Location	Lewiston, Maine	Walla Walla, Washington
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.3%	59.0%
Application fees	$60	$50
SAT range	N/A	1295 - 1455
ACT range	N/A	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		21.0%
Students submitting ACT score		19.0%
Total number of applicants	7,319	5,155
Total number of admissions given out	1,267	3,039
Admitted students who chose to enroll	553	477
Yield rate	43.6%	15.7%
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	$77,870	$71,982
Average net price	$26,231	$35,627
Tuition	$59,062	$55,560
Room & board	$16,658	Room/dormitory: $6,080 Meal plan: $7,720
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	36.0% Average amount $50,509	91.0% Average amount $30,781
Students receiving federal student loan	12.0% Average amount $4,182	42.0% Average amount $4,853
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $23,825	2.0% Average amount $14,105

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,821 Men 48.6% Women 51.4%	1,559 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	65.0%
International students	8.7%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,816	886
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Washington California Oregon Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Physical Science Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.7%	88.7%
Dropout rate	2.3%	1.6%
Transferred out	5.8%	8.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,768 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,497 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $55,661 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,568 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $53,638 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,883 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $35,020 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,170 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,112 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,657 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,596 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $64,407 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $43,330 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,051 Year 2: $22,999 Year 3: $41,844 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,549 Year 2: $27,584 Year 3: $39,355 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,868 Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,472 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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