Head-to-head comparison
Bowdoin College vs Bates College: which has better ROI?
Option A Brunswick, ME
Bowdoin College
- Net price / year
- $14,398
- Earnings, 10 years
- $82,735
- Payback
- 1.7 yrs
Option B Lewiston, ME
Bates College
- Net price / year
- $29,351
- Earnings, 10 years
- $69,498
- Payback
- 5.6 yrs
Bowdoin College has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $57,592 in 1.7 years versus 5.6 years at Bates College, on median earnings of $82,735 vs $69,498 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bowdoin College | Bates College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $14,398 | $29,351 |
| Total net cost | $57,592 | $117,404 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $82,735 | $69,498 |
| Median debt | $18,500 | $14,275 |
| Payback | 1.7 yrs | 5.6 yrs |
| 20-year net return | $629,908 | $305,356 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bowdoin College or Bates College?
Bowdoin College, at $14,398 a year after aid versus $29,351 — a gap of $14,953 a year, or $59,812 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Bowdoin College or Bates College graduates earn more?
Bowdoin College graduates report a median $82,735 ten years after entry, $13,237 more than the $69,498 at Bates College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Bowdoin College or Bates College?
Bates College: its completers carry a median $14,275 in federal loans versus $18,500 at Bowdoin College, a difference of $4,225. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
95% of students finish at Bowdoin College, against 90% at Bates College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.