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Academics

Bowdoin College
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Bowdoin College?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

9:1
Student to faculty ratio
20
Average class size
82%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Bowdoin has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
71
10-19
162
20-29
63
30-39
55
40-49
12
50-99
10

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Bowdoin College:

97%
First-year retention rate
82%
4-year grad rate
96%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Bowdoin College's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Political Science and Government, General
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Computer Science
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
English Language and Literature, General
16.2
27.96
39.72
51.48
63.24
75

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 8
  • Spanish and Iberian Studies 7
  • African Studies 5
  • French Studies 5
  • French Studies 5
  • Latin American Studies 4
  • Spanish and Iberian Studies 4
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 4
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 3
  • African Studies 2
  • Italian Studies 2
  • Italian Studies 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 31
  • Neuroscience 23
  • Biochemistry 19
  • Neuroscience 3
  • Biochemistry 2
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 2
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 37
  • Computer Science 5
Education
  • Education, General 20
  • Physics Teacher Education 0
  • Mathematics Teacher Education 0
  • Education, General 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 26
  • English Language and Literature, General 3
Foreign Languages
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 5
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 5
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
  • German Language and Literature 3
  • German Language and Literature 3
  • Russian Language and Literature 2
History
  • History, General 16
  • History, General 13
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 23
  • Mathematics, General 20
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Human Computer Interaction 11
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 1
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 1
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
  • Human Computer Interaction 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 21
  • Environmental Studies 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Philosophy 2
  • Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 19
  • Physics, General 10
  • Physics, General 9
  • Chemistry, General 9
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 2
  • Chemical Physics 0
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 14
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 6
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 75
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 56
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 22
  • Sociology, General 10
  • Anthropology, General 9
  • Political Science and Government, General 8
  • Sociology, General 7
  • Anthropology, General 2
  • Archeology 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 5
  • Music, General 4
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 4
  • Theatre and Dance 3
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 3
  • Theatre and Dance 1
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
  • Theatre Literature, History and Criticism 0
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 0

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