Bates College acceptance rate and admissions profile
With an acceptance rate near 13%, Bates College is a highly selective private college in Maine. Because it turns away most applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Bates College weighs, where it ranks among Maine schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1470, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Will I get into Bates College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Bates College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Bates College?
Bates College admits about 13% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Bates College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Bates College hard to get into?
Bates College is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 13% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.
What GPA do you need to get into Bates College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Bates College, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Bates College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Bates College?
Bates College does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1470. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Bates College.
What Bates College looks for
What Bates College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Bates College leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Bates College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Bates College
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability — your full profile determines the real estimate.
How Bates College compares in Maine
Bates College ranks #3 most selective of 4 schools in Maine in our database.
Among the 4 Maine schools we track, Bates College ranks #3 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Bowdoin College (7%) and Colby College (7%) sit nearby, which makes Maine a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Bates College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Bates College with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Davidson College, Georgetown University, and Colgate University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bates College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Bates College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Bates College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Bates College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Bates College?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Bates College specifically.
Is Bates College test-optional?
Test-optional policies change year to year, so confirm Bates College's current policy on its official admissions site. If you do submit scores, the admitted 75th-percentile SAT is around 1470; if you do not, more weight falls on your GPA, course rigor, and essays.
Acceptance rate and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets). Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.