Quad

Head-to-head

Bates
Franklin and Marshall

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Bates's yield is 17 pts higher than Franklin and Marshall's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Bates is 2.4× more selective than Franklin and Marshall

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Franklin and Marshall's grants cover 39% of its full price on average, vs. 28% at Bates

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Franklin and Marshall costs about $7.5K less per year on average than Bates ($52,376 vs. $59,892, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  5. 5

    Bates's SAT midpoint is 88 points higher than Franklin and Marshall's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Bates graduates 8 pts more of its students than Franklin and Marshall (92% vs. 84%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Bates admits 15%, Franklin and Marshall 36%; Bates's yield is higher, at 34%.

Acceptance rate
Bates15%
Franklin and Marshall36%
Quad's selectivity
  • BatesHighly selective
  • Franklin and MarshallVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
Bates
1420–1530
Franklin and Marshall
1310–1463
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • BatesRigor, GPA, and rank very important
  • Franklin and MarshallRigor, GPA, and rank very important

Who's on each campus

Bates and Franklin and Marshall are about the same size; Franklin and Marshall has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Bates1.8K
Franklin and Marshall1.8K
Pell Grant share
Bates12%
Franklin and Marshall16%

Majors and faculty

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics leads at Bates, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Franklin and Marshall; both have 9 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
Bates9 to 1
Franklin and Marshall9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • BatesEconometrics and Quantitative Economics12%
  • Franklin and MarshallMulti-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other17%

What each costs

Franklin and Marshall costs about $7.5K less a year than Bates on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Bates$59.9K
Franklin and Marshall$52.4K
Aid generosity
Bates28%
Franklin and Marshall39%

What each pays off

Franklin and Marshall's former students earn more, a median $76.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Bates$69.5K
Franklin and Marshall$76.1K
Graduation rate
Bates92%
Franklin and Marshall84%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • BatesGrowing+99%
  • Franklin and MarshallGrowing+81%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Bates College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Bates College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Franklin and Marshall College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;Franklin and Marshall College Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2024;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