Whitman College vs Bowdoin College

Whitman College and Bowdoin College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Whitman, nestled in the picturesque Walla Walla Valley, boasts a vibrant community with a strong emphasis on undergraduate research and experiential learning. Bowdoin, situated in the charming coastal town of Brunswick, Maine, is renowned for its rigorous academics, commitment to civic engagement, and vibrant arts scene. While both colleges share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to discover which college aligns best with your aspirations and preferences, considering factors such as location, academic strengths, and campus culture.

	Bowdoin College	Whitman College
Overview
Location	Brunswick, Maine	Walla Walla, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
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%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.8%	59.0%
Application fees	$65	$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	9,325	5,155
Total number of admissions given out	822	3,039
Admitted students who chose to enroll	517	477
Yield rate	62.9%	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	$76,310	$71,982
Average net price	$26,727	$35,627
Tuition	$57,776	$55,560
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,630 Meal plan: $8,268	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)	54.0% Average amount $45,153	91.0% Average amount $30,781
Students receiving federal student loan	11.0% Average amount $4,767	42.0% Average amount $4,853
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $20,700	2.0% Average amount $14,105

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,951 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	1,559 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	65.0%
International students	7.1%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,913	886
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	Washington California Oregon Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Mathematics and Statistics	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.8%	88.7%
Dropout rate	2.2%	1.6%
Transferred out	4.0%	8.0%
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	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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