Bates College

Academic Programs

Bates College offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in 36 majors and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The most popular degree programs are psychology, economics, and political science. There is a partnership with Dartmouth, Columbia, and Washington University for dual degree programs in Liberal Arts-Engineering. Known for its academic rigor, Bates College’s mission statement indicates that the school is “dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion — Amore ac Studio — we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders sustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.” Bates College contains a liberal environment keenly aware of current social conditions.

Student Life

The 1,800 students at Bates (called ‘Batesies’) enjoy a quiet atmosphere in the cool New England climate. Bates fields 31 NCAA varsity teams, most of which compete in Division III. The college boasts two woodland and wetland preserves supporting academic and extracurricular activities (the 600 acre Bates Morse Mountain Conservation Area and an 80-acre Coastal Center at Shortridge). Students are familiar with the core values of the school: welcoming men and women from diverse racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds; the ideals of academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, egalitarianism, social justice and freedom, and inclusive social character and progressive tradition (noted as being one of the first U.S. institutions of higher learning to admit women and people of color). Bates values the diversity of persons and perspectives, supporting this commitment through official college statements and policies. Noteworthy is Lake Andrews, the pond on campus. There are a number of (unofficial) traditions surrounding when and why a student is to “jump in the puddle.” These reasons include calendar events (St Patrick’s Day or the Winter Carnival) or other celebrations. Another tradition is the climb up Mt. David (day or night, depending on the purpose behind the climb) which provides a good view of the local town.