Quad
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (16% of graduates). 9 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 84% of colleges. 89% of faculty are full-time. Spends $42,365 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

528 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 54% of graduates; 34 programs in 13 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45.060316% 84
    Graduates in this field earn $121,983 4 years out
  2. Political Science and Government, General 45.100113% 71
    Graduates in this field earn $89,253 4 years out
  3. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01019.3% 49
  4. Computer Science 11.07018.0% 42
    Graduates in this field earn $137,611 4 years out
  5. Neuroscience 26.15017.0% 37

Fastest-growing field: Biology, 15% → 21% of graduates since 2014–15 (109 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Science$137,611 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$137,611
    National median: $107,009Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 70 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Economics$121,983 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $75,867

    4 years after completion$121,983
    National median: $82,686Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $104,340(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $19,500 · 163 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Mathematics$90,213 1 yr out

    1 year after completion: $90,213

    4 years after completion: Too few graduates to report

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 84 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Political Science and Government$89,253 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $60,626

    4 years after completion$89,253
    National median: $63,293Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $59,057 · Non-Pell: $82,497(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $19,634 · 160 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Area Studies$75,966 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $45,315

    4 years after completion$75,966
    National median: $56,625Above typical

    Median federal debt: $24,000 · 86 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college9 to 1
9 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 84% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 8.3 to 1 in its Common Data Set (1,838 students, 221 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

67%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 2% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–98422%
10–1917645%
20–293910%
30–397219%
40–49113%
50–9962%
100+00%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Cross-registration
  • Double major
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Independent study
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, humanities, intensive writing, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty89%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$127,945

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$42,365
$42,365
← Lessmore than 97% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$1,424,934
$1,424,934
← Lessmore than 99% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Bowdoin College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Bowdoin College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)