Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine · Private Nonprofit · 7.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 92/100 · Exceptional Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Bowdoin College scores 92 (Exceptional Value). The 1,873-student school in Brunswick, Maine is best known for economics, mathematics, and natural sciences. Earnings reach $57,100 six years out and $82,735 at ten years. Net price averages $14,398, and the payback period is 4.1 years on median debt of $18,500. The completion rate is 95.3%. Bowdoin's small size means students interact directly with faculty rather than graduate teaching assistants. The school has no Greek life, which concentrates social life around its residential house system and clubs. The 0.324 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects manageable borrowing across the student body.
The median graduate earns $82,735 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Bowdoin College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $67,832/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $67,832/yr |
| Average net price | $14,398/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $57,592 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $82,735 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $57,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $196 |
| Estimated payback period | 4.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 95.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,873 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $67,832/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,398/year, or roughly $57,592 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $3,145/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $35,196/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,500, which works out to about $196 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($57,100) and comes to 0.32, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $3,145 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $2,800 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $9,007 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,801 |
| $110,001+ | $35,196 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $3,145 per year at Bowdoin - roughly $12,600 total for four years. Bowdoin meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans for most students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48k bracket pays $2,800 per year - lower than the lowest-income bracket, which is unusual and worth noting. The 48-75k bracket pays $9,007 and the 75-110k bracket pays $13,801. The slope is steep from mid-range upward. A family at $90,000 income pays roughly $14K per year, which is still far below sticker price of $67,832.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $35,196 per year - about 52% of sticker. Given median 10-year earnings of $82,735 and a 4.1-year payback period, paying $35K/year is reasonable for families who can sustain it. The debate for high-income families centers on whether Bowdoin's outcomes justify the price.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Bowdoin College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $121,983 | B+ |
| International Relations | $89,253 | B+ |
| Mathematics | $90,213 | - |
| Area Studies | $75,966 | C+ |
| English Language and Literature | $49,421 | - |
| Computer Science | $137,611 | - |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $43,373 | C+ |
| Sociology | $47,749 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Economics
Economics is Bowdoin's largest program at 85 graduates and shows $75,867 one-year median earnings and $121,983 at four years, with a 0.257 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ grade. This is consistent with liberal arts economics placing students in financial services, consulting, and policy roles. At four years out, the $122K median indicates significant career progression - likely into senior analyst, associate, or manager roles. Bowdoin's Maine alumni in Boston finance provide strong networking leverage. The 0.257 debt ratio is acceptable though not low; it reflects moderate borrowing against solid eventual earnings.
International Relations
International Relations (77 graduates) shows $60,626 one-year median earnings and $89,253 at four years, with a 0.324 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ grade. The four-year median of $89K is notably strong for an international relations credential - Bowdoin IR graduates likely move into government service, consulting, international NGOs, and law. The program benefits from Maine's maritime and Canadian border context. Starting salaries at $60K are workable but borrowers with high debt loads may feel pressure; the 0.324 ratio is on the acceptable edge of manageable.
Mathematics
Mathematics (41 graduates) delivers $90,213 one-year median earnings - the highest one-year figure for any Bowdoin program. Four-year data is not available. Bowdoin's strong alumni network in finance likely funnels math majors into trading desks, hedge funds, and technology companies. No debt data is available for this program; school-wide debt averages $18,500.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 89.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 91.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Bowdoin College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 7.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 740-780 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 730-770 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 33-35 |
| Enrollment | 1,873 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 17.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $14,216 |
SAT Math 740-780, SAT Reading 730-770, ACT 33-35 define the admitted range. Bowdoin is test-optional, which affects how these bands should be interpreted - the cited ranges include only students who submitted scores.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdoin College (this school) | 92 | $14,398 | $82,735 |
| Swarthmore College | 92 | $23,149 | $80,257 |
| Pomona College | 90 | $19,285 | $77,779 |
| Amherst College | 90 | $23,367 | $77,644 |
| Bates College | 82 | $29,351 | $69,498 |
| College of the Atlantic | 25 | $25,184 | $40,264 |
Who Thrives Here
Admitted students cluster at ACT 33-35 and SAT 730-780 (Reading) and 740-780 (Math). Students who do best here are intellectually curious and comfortable in a semi-remote campus environment. Bowdoin has no engineering programs. Students seeking technical degree credentials should look elsewhere; students who want liberal arts depth with strong graduate school placement are well served.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
If you're asking whether Bowdoin College is worth it, the short answer is yes - it's one of the strongest money decisions in higher education. Four years here run about $57,592 after aid, and the typical graduate earns $82,735 ten years out. That earnings head start covers the cost in roughly 4.1 years, well ahead of most schools.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 95.3% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings.
Median debt of $18,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $57,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Bowdoin College: Common Questions
Is Bowdoin College worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Bowdoin College pays off. It scores 92/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $14,398 a year after aid ($57,592 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $82,735 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 4.1 years to earn back.
How much does Bowdoin College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $14,398 a year, or roughly $57,592 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Bowdoin College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $82,735 ten years after enrolling, roughly $40,935 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Bowdoin College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 4.1 years for Bowdoin College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Bowdoin College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,500, against average earnings of $57,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Bowdoin College?
The six-year graduation rate is 95.3%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.