Private nonprofit · College
College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, Maine · Remote rural
- 70.2%
- Admit rate
- $25,184
- Avg net price
- 68%
- Graduation rate
- $40,264
- Median earnings
College of the Atlantic is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Bar Harbor, Maine (remote rural setting), enrolling 353 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against College of the Atlantic's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 70.2%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1240–1430
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.77
Enter a test score to see where you land against College of the Atlantic's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and College of the Atlantic's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. In early September 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain ran aground on a rock ledge believed to be Egg Rock, just off Otter Cliffs, and when he came ashore to repair his boat he met local natives. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote rural
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 113 miles to Portland, ME
- To the ocean
- < 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Hancock County-Bar Harbor (BHB)
How College of the Atlantic compares
More selective than 63% · #5 most selective of 15 in Maine
Higher than 87%
Higher than 75% · #5 of 17 in Maine
Higher than 76%
Higher than 15% · #16 of 17 in Maine
Cheaper than 28% · #13 cheapest of 17 in Maine
Lower than 30%
Lower than 83%
Larger than 17%
Percentiles compare College of the Atlantic with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maine.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate35399%
- Graduate51%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women27678%
- Men7722%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White69%
- Black0.6%
- Hispanic4.3%
- Asian1.1%
- Other or multiracial25%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 353
- Graduate enrollment
- 5
- Student–faculty ratio
- 9 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 28%
- First-generation students
- —
- Students over 25
- 6%
- Median family income
- $57,786
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $81,018
- Endowment
- $84,444,621
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 70.2%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1240–1430
- SAT average
- 1370
- SAT reading
- 660–730
- SAT math
- 580–700
- ACT composite
- —
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.77
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $47,997
- Room & board
- $10,404
- Books & supplies
- $600
- Total cost of attendance
- $58,266
- Average net price
- $25,184
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 68%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 57%
- First-year retention
- 85%
- Transferred to another college
- 13%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- —
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $40,264
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,050
- Students with federal loans
- 53%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 71%
About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 204
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 58%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,396
- Meal plan (year)
- $3,705
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 10.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 9
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (358 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$16,650/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
College of the Atlantic discounts heavily: 98% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $32,485. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 95 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $40,264
- Typical debt at graduation
- $25,050
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 62%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 24%
Typical debt would take roughly 6.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 79°F
- Winter low
- 15°F
- Annual rain
- 55.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Acadia NP, ME US station (2.4 mi from campus).
What College of the Atlantic graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to College of the Atlantic
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare College of the Atlantic side by side →
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina · Fringe rural · 6 mi to Asheville
- Students
- 707
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1350
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $36k
St. John's College
Santa Fe, New Mexico · Fringe rural · 58 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 368
- Admission
- 53%
- Net price
- $27k
- SAT
- 1426
- GPA
- 3.9
- Earnings
- $45k
Hastings College
Hastings, Nebraska · Distant town · 89 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 891
- Admission
- 72%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1320
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $51k
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia · Midsize suburb · 6 mi to Roanoke
- Students
- 665
- Admission
- 68%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1230
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $40k
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city · < 1 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 535
- Admission
- 56%
- Net price
- $43k
- SAT
- 1282
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $38k
Stephens College
Columbia, Missouri · Midsize city · 1 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 391
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
Colleges near College of the Atlantic
Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME · Public · Bachelor's · 942 students
Beal University
Bangor, ME · Private for-profit · Associate · 484 students
Eastern Maine Community College
Bangor, ME · Public · Associate · 1,840 students
Empire Beauty School-Maine
Bangor, ME · Private for-profit · Certificate · 117 students
Husson University
Bangor, ME · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,618 students
University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public · Bachelor's · 8,496 students
Maine Media College
Rockport, ME · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 3 students
Kennebec Valley Community College
Fairfield, ME · Public · Associate · 1,597 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













