{"id":49233,"date":"2015-05-07T12:16:23","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T16:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/about\/?page_id=49233"},"modified":"2026-05-22T12:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:13:08","slug":"facts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/about\/facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Bates at a Glance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bates at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college. We are proud to offer a highly personalized education that centers on deep and sustained interactions among students, faculty, and community. We are engaging the forces \u2014 intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology \u2014 that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast Facts<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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50% of students take community-engaged courses every year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1,800 degree-seeking students call Bates home<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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About half of all students receive need-based financial aid<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bates has about three dozen majors<\/em> and two dozen minor<\/em>s to choose from<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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9:1 student-faculty ratio<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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100% of tenured faculty hold the highest degree in their field<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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History and Values<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When Bates opened in 1855, it was New England\u2019s first co-ed college. Since then, we have admitted students no matter their nationality, race, religion, sex, or socio-economic status. While this openness was at the core of our founding identity and principles, it has been tested throughout time and requires us to constantly reflect upon and recommit to our mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our holistic admission and need-based financial aid practices and policies are mission-driven. They’re grounded in a recognition of and respect for your background, what opportunities you’ve had, and what you’ve done with all that’s been available to you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Distinctive Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bates helps students identify and cultivate their interests and strengths and acquire the knowledge, experiences and relationships necessary to pursue their aspirations with imagination and integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short Term, Big Impact<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Our calendar is based on two traditional semesters and one Short Term<\/strong> in the spring. It\u2019s a time devoted to wide-open exploration (and at least a little basking in the sun after a cold winter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We set aside about four weeks in May for you to take just one class or focus on a project of your own design. Short Term courses usually involve fieldwork or off-campus travel \u2014 and professors have a blast coming up with the topics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating Academic Achievement<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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The Mount David Summit<\/strong> is Bates\u2019 annual campus-wide celebration of student academic achievement. The Summit highlights undergraduate research; student creative work in art, dance, theater, music and film\/video; projects conducted in the context of academic courses; and community-engaged research. The Summit spotlights the rich intellectual life of our students. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Community Partnerships<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Collaboration with the community and learning by doing are key aspects of academics at Bates. These two elements, which we call community-engaged learning, come together at our nationally recognized Harward Center for Community Partnerships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the Harward Center, you\u2019ll have access to hundreds of hands-on experiences that will deepen your connection to Lewiston\/Auburn and give you a chance to make a difference. These experiences often inspire students to dig deeper through independent research or a senior thesis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Arts and Athletics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bates is a charter member of the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference). We compete against fellow members Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

31<\/td>varsity teams<\/td><\/tr>
31<\/td>national champions<\/td><\/tr>
796<\/td>All-America awards<\/td><\/tr>
13<\/td>club teams<\/td><\/tr>
12<\/td>Olympians<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The performing and visual arts are well represented at Bates. Every year you\u2019ll find hundreds of opportunities to express yourself \u2014 and to be inspired by leading-edge artists. That\u2019s true whether you major in dance or physics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

60<\/td>theater productions<\/td><\/tr>
30<\/td>large-scale art exhibitions<\/td><\/tr>
14<\/td>music and voice ensembles<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>high-profile literary readings<\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>internationally celebrated dance festival<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Location, Location, Location<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn are historic mill towns reborn. With a combined population of about 60,000, the cities offer a safe, close-knit, and diverse community (some 30 languages are spoken at the local high schools) with vibrant downtowns. Best of all? A beautiful Maine river, the Androscoggin, flows between them. Lewiston just received a $30 million federal grant to bolster the rapid revitalization of its downtown, where you\u2019ll find a farmer\u2019s market, an organic cafe, a new maker space and gallery for local artists, plus plenty of independent restaurants and shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in the heart of Maine, we\u2019re close to mountains, the sea, and cities. Traveling by Uber, bus, train, or plane is only a click away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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