Key differences on Getting in

1
Bowdoin's yield is 23 pts higher than Grinnell's
Yield rate
2
Bowdoin is 2.1× more selective than Grinnell
Acceptance rate
3
Bowdoin's SAT midpoint is 30 points higher than Grinnell's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Grinnell15%

Bowdoin6.8%Most selective

Applicants

Grinnell9.8K

Bowdoin14KMost

Admitted

Grinnell1.4KMost

Bowdoin957

Yield rate

Grinnell31%

Bowdoin54%Highest

Quad's selectivity

GrinnellHighly selective
BowdoinUltra selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Grinnell16%

Bowdoin7.3%

Men admitted

Grinnell13%

Bowdoin7.0%

Test scores

SAT total,

Grinnell

1410–1540

Bowdoin

1470–1540

Axis runs 1300–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Grinnell

31–34

Bowdoin

33–35

Axis runs 27–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Grinnell29%

Bowdoin35%

Submitted ACT

Grinnell21%

Bowdoin17%

Test policy

GrinnellTest-optional
BowdoinTest-optional

How they read a record

Grinnell
The high school record is required; GPA, class rank, and a college-prep program are considered.
Bowdoin
, GPA, and class rank are all very important; tests are considered.

What they look at

Factor	Grinnell	Bowdoin
High school GPA	Considered	Very important
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Considered	Very important
College-prep program	Considered	Required
Recommendations	Considered	Very important
Essay	Required	Very important
Legacy status	Considered	Considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Required	Considered
Other tests	Considered	Considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Bowdoin College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Bowdoin College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Bowdoin College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Bowdoin College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why