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

Bowdoin6.8%Most selective

Grinnell15%

Applicants

Bowdoin14KMost

Grinnell9.8K

Admitted

Bowdoin957

Grinnell1.4KMost

Yield rate

Bowdoin54%Highest

Grinnell31%

Quad's selectivity

BowdoinUltra selective
GrinnellHighly selective

Men and women

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

Women admitted

Bowdoin7.3%

Grinnell16%

Men admitted

Bowdoin7.0%

Grinnell13%

Test scores

SAT total,

Bowdoin

1470–1540

Grinnell

1410–1540

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

ACT composite,

Bowdoin

33–35

Grinnell

31–34

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

Submitted SAT

Bowdoin35%

Grinnell29%

Submitted ACT

Bowdoin17%

Grinnell21%

Test policy

BowdoinTest-optional
GrinnellTest-optional

How they read a record

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

What they look at

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

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Bowdoin College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;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 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;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