Bowdoin SAT Scores and GPA

What are Bowdoin's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Bowdoin. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Brunswick, ME

This school is also known as: Bowdoin College

Bowdoin Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Bowdoin College.

Average SAT: 1422

The average SAT score composite at Bowdoin is a 1422.

Bowdoin SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1340, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1520.

In other words, a 1340 places you below average, while a 1520 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Bowdoin, but they really want to see at least a 1340 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	713	670	780
Reading + Writing	710	670	760
Composite	1422	1340	1520

Average GPA: 3.96

The average GPA at Bowdoin is 3.96. This makes Bowdoin Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)

With a GPA of 3.96, Bowdoin requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.96, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 9.2%

The acceptance rate at Bowdoin is 9.2%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 9 are admitted.

This means the school is very selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1520 SAT and a 3.96 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1422 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.

Admissions Calculator

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Bowdoin, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Bowdoin.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Bowdoin. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	1500	34
Barnard College	New York, NY	1478	33
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie, NY	1477	33
Colgate University	Hamilton, NY	1477	32
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, IN	1475	34
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, OH	1465	33
Colby College	Waterville, ME	1465	33

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Bowdoin, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	1440	32
Southern Methodist University	Dallas, TX	1436	32
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, MA	1435	33
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1435	33
Boston University	Boston, MA	1418	32
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31
University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	1405	31

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Bowdoin, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Bowdoin is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	1375	31
University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst, MA	1358	30
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	1352	31
United States Military Academy	West Point, NY	1331	30
University of Connecticut	Storrs, CT	1315	29
Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	1310	29
University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson, TX	1291	28

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.