Student body

1,650 students come from every state and over 50 nations. Forty-nine percent are men, 51 percent are women, and 15 percent multicultural and international students. Admissions is competitive: Less than one-third of the applicants are accepted each year.

Faculty

191 teacher/scholars are leaders in their fields. Ninety-nine percent of tenure-track faculty holds a doctorate or terminal degree in their fields.

Campus

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates' 109-acre main campus is picturesque and tree-lined. The college also maintains the 574-acre Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area along the coast, 40 miles from campus, and 80 acres of fresh water habitat at the Coastal Center at Shortridge, just north of that area.

Academics

32 majors and an array of special opportunities, including the first-year seminar, summer research program, and the senior thesis — which put students in close contact with faculty. The college follows a 4-4-1 calendar, with a short term in May.

Library

The George and Helen Ladd Library, one of the most important facilities of the College, sits symbolically in the center of the campus. Recent renovations have created more capacity for technology, while enhancing the comfortable and inviting atmosphere in which to conduct research and study.

The Library’s collections include approximately 550,000 cataloged volumes, 2,500 serial subscriptions and 27,000 audio/video items. There are more than 80 Web-accessible research databases and more than 4,000 electronic journals, full-text titles or other electronic resources accessible through the catalog.

An automated system links the Bates Library to those of Bowdoin and Colby colleges. Users can search the Web-based catalogs of all three libraries, and request delivery of books and other items directly. Bates students and faculty have borrowing privileges at the Bowdoin and Colby libraries, in person or electronically.

Computing

Bates provides computing services to faculty, students, and staff free of charge, including 24-hour unlimited access to the academic DECAlpha 2100 dual processor RISC computer named abacus, and to personal computers, both Macintosh and IBM-compatible, in the public computing areas. All residences are fully wired.

Residential life

More than 90 percent of the students live in one of 13 dormitories or 25 Victorian houses. Bates has never had fraternities or sororities, and campus organizations are open to any student who wishes to join.

Athletic

Bates is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which is one of the most competitive conferences in Division III college athletics. There are 15 varsity sports for men, 15 varsity sports for women, and 12 club sports. Sixty-two percent of Bates students participate in a club or varsity sport, one of the highest participation rates in the country.

Costs and Financial Aid

For 2007-08, the comprehensive fee, including tuition, room and board, will be $46,800.  About 40 percent of enrolled students received need-based aid from the college in 2006-2007; the average grant was $25,559. The average financial-aid package, including loans and campus employment, was $28,474.