Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Davidson's yield is 14 pts higher than Bates's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Davidson admits 13% vs. 15% at Bates

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Bates's SAT midpoint is 10 points higher than Davidson'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
Davidson13%
Bates15%
Applicants
Davidson8.1K
Bates9.7K
Admitted
Davidson1.1K
Bates1.4K
Yield rate
Davidson48%
Bates34%

Quad's selectivity

  • DavidsonHighly selective
  • BatesHighly selective

Men and women

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

Women admitted
Davidson14%
Bates14%
Men admitted
Davidson13%
Bates12%

Test scores

SAT total,

Davidson
1400–1530
Bates
1420–1530

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

ACT composite,

Davidson
31–34
Bates
31–34

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

Submitted SAT
Davidson28%
Bates12%
Submitted ACT
Davidson23%
Bates4%

Test policy

  • DavidsonTest-optional
  • BatesTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Davidson

    The high school record and a college-prep program are required; GPA and class rank are considered.

  • Bates

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

What they look at

FactorDavidsonBates
High school GPA ConsideredVery important
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank ConsideredVery important
College-prep program RequiredConsidered
Recommendations RequiredVery important
Essay RequiredVery important
Legacy status Not consideredConsidered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies Not consideredConsidered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

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