The Bates Mission

Since 1855, Bates College has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion — Amore ac Studio — we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders sustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.

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Class of 2030 Enrollment Profile

• Class size 553
• Admission rate 16%
• Yield rate 28%

Financial Aid

• Total grant aid $16.2 million
• Portion of the class receiving Bates grant aid 43%
• Portion of the class receiving Pell Grants 14%
• Average need-based grant $67,511

Home Geography

• Middle Atlantic 23%
• Midwest 7%
• New England 40%
• Southeast 6%
• Southwest and West 16%
• Outside of the U.S. 8%
• Number of countries represented (other than the U.S.) 29
• Number of U.S. states represented 40 + Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico

Demographics

• Female-identified 54%
• Male-identified 46%
• U.S. students of color 26%
• First generation to college 13%
• Non-U.S. citizens 9%

Education

• Public/charter high school 51%
• Independent/private high school 49%

Testing

Bates has been a national leader in the test-optional movement for three decades. In October 1984, the Bates faculty voted to make standardized testing optional for admission.

• For those who submitted testing, the middle 50% had score ranges of:
  • SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing 690-750
  • SAT Math 710-760
  • ACT Composite 31-34

Statistics are accurate as of August 1, 2026