There are many reasons to learn more about Bates. Here are just a few:

Real access to an excellent faculty

Our 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio puts students in direct contact with Bates' extraordinary faculty.  In fact, you can start right off in a First-Year Seminar, with just 14 other students and a professor. More ...

Nationally recognized academic program

Rated among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation, Bates' curriculum and faculty challenge students to develop powers of critical assessment, analysis, expression, aesthetic sensibility, and independent thought. More ...

Bates people

Founded by abolitionists, Bates has a longstanding tradition of egalitarianism (when we say we encourage independent thought, we mean it). The Bates campus is a cohesive and supportive community full of great people engaged in a wide range of original, fun, and productive activities. More...

The Senior Thesis

Rare in an undergraduate setting, the Senior Thesis is an opportunity for extended, closely guided research and writing, performance, or studio work. It offers a depth of study - and a chance to demonstrate that you've mastered your subject area. More...

Service-learning

More than half of Bates' students receive credit for work in the community - everything from scientific field study to engaging in critical policy debates. More...

Summer research

Every summer the college supports students who pursue faculty-directed research. This allows students the opportunity to work directly with faculty. More...

Medical and Law school acceptance rates

With faculty and career services assistance, both new graduates and older alumni get the help they need when choosing professional schools. More...

Life after Bates

More than two-thirds of Bates alumni/ae begin graduate or professional programs within six years of graduation. Recent graduates — with help from our Office of Career Services — work in a range of professions including health care, law, social services, and finance. And our Alumni Connection helps Bates graduates with job networking. Among our most honored graduates: Edmund S. Muskie '36, former Maine governor, U.S. senator and U.S. secretary of state, and Dr. Benjamin E. Mays '20, nationally known civil rights leader and former president of Morehouse College. More...