Bates College: 13.7% Acceptance Rate | CampusGuide
Bates College in Lewiston, ME: Pioneer of test-optional admissions since 1984 with 13.74% acceptance rate and strong liberal arts focus
campusguide.comHere’s the latest publicly reported information on Bates College’s acceptance rate.
- Overall acceptance rate: Approximately 13%–14% for recent cycles (class of 2026 context often cited near 13%–14%). This places Bates among selective liberal arts colleges in New England.[3][5][6]
- Regular decision vs. early action: Regular decision rates tend to be lower (often around 6–7%), while early action can be substantially higher (often above 40%). This reflects Bates’ early applicant advantage and competitive RD pool.[2][5]
- Recent year fluctuations: Annual applicant totals and admitted counts vary, with notable differences between EA and RD outcomes over the past few years. For example, RD acceptance has ranged roughly in the mid-single digits to low teens depending on year.[5][9][2]
Illustration: Bates’ admissions pattern typically shows a two-track process where Early Action yields a much higher admit rate than Regular Decision, contributing to an overall mid-teens overall rate when combining both cohorts.[2][5]
If you’d like, I can pull the exact figures for the most recent application year and break down by EA/RD/waitlist once you confirm which year you want analyzed. I can also compare Bates to nearby peers (e.g., Colby, Bowdoin) if that helps your planning.[6][3]