Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Bates's yield is 21 pts higher than Reed's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Bates is 1.7× more selective than Reed

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Bates's SAT midpoint is 70 points higher than Reed'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
Bates15%
Reed25%
Applicants
Bates9.7K
Reed9.4K
Admitted
Bates1.4K
Reed2.3K
Yield rate
Bates34%
Reed13%

Quad's selectivity

  • BatesHighly selective
  • ReedVery selective

Men and women

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

Women admitted
Bates14%
Reed28%
Men admitted
Bates12%
Reed18%

Test scores

SAT total,

Bates
1420–1530
Reed
1290–1520

Axis runs 1200–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Bates
31–34
Reed
30–34

Axis runs 26–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Bates12%
Reed52%
Submitted ACT
Bates4%
Reed21%

Test policy

  • BatesTest-optional
  • ReedTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Bates

    , GPA, and class rank are all very important; tests are considered.

  • Reed

    and GPA are both very important; class rank is important. 81% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.

What they look at

FactorBatesReed
High school GPA Very importantVery important
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank Very importantImportant
College-prep program ConsideredRequired
Recommendations Very importantImportant
Essay Very importantVery important
Legacy status ConsideredConsidered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies ConsideredConsidered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Bates College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;Reed College Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2025 applicants;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About 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