Admissions data checked October 9, 2026 by Florida Test Prep.
Bates College reports a middle 50% SAT of 1410 to 1490 (enrolled, fall 2024 CDS 2024-25). We use 1450 as a first planning target, then adjust it to the student's diagnostic and timeline. It is not an admission requirement or a guarantee.
| Middle 50% SAT | 1410 to 1490 (enrolled, fall 2024 CDS 2024-25) |
| Middle 50% ACT | 30 to 33 |
| Acceptance rate | 13.3% (fall 2024, 10,027 applicants) |
| Testing for 2026-27 | Test optional (Bates pioneered test-optional admission in 1984) |
| Type | Private university |
Source: Bates official admissions data. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not a cutoff.
Bates admitted 1,334 of 10,027 applicants for fall 2024; only about 15% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score, among the lowest submission rates of any school researched.
| School | Middle 50% SAT | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|
| Bowdoin College | 1470 to 1540 | 7.1% |
| Bates College | 1410 to 1490 | 13.3% |
| University of Maine, Orono | 1080 to 1320 | 94.2% |
Cohorts differ by school (admitted vs enrolled, and year). See every school with its cohort and source on SAT Scores for Maine Colleges.
Maine has no statewide SAT-cutoff scholarship: the Maine State Grant Program, run by FAME, is purely need-based (capped by a student's Student Aid Index) with no GPA or test-score component, and Maine's elite private colleges (Bowdoin, Bates, Colby) give no merit aid at all, need-based only. The closest things to score-tied money in the state are the University of Maine's own full-tuition competitive programs, one of which is tied to National Merit status from the PSAT rather than a raw SAT cutoff.
UMaine National Merit Award: Covers 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for National Merit Semifinalists/Finalists who enroll at UMaine; no separate application beyond National Merit status.
Maine Top Scholars: Covers 100% of tuition and fees for a small number of UMaine's highest-achieving admitted students who complete a separate application.
The full rules, deadlines and class years are on our Maine SAT prep page.
| College | State | Middle 50% SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia | 1370 to 1530 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick (School of Arts and Sciences) | New Jersey | 1380 to 1520 |
| Villanova University | Pennsylvania | 1410 to 1490 |
| College of William & Mary | Virginia | 1390 to 1520 |
A score that is competitive at Bates lands in the same part of the range at these schools. Cohorts differ by school, so read each page's notes before comparing.
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Find my teen's target scoreThere is no published minimum; the middle half of the reported group scored 1410 to 1490. A score at or above 1490 puts a student in the top quarter of that group. A score near 1410 is within the range, and grades, coursework and the rest of the application still decide the outcome.
Yes. Bates lists its policy as: Test optional (Bates pioneered test-optional admission in 1984). A score inside or above the range can still strengthen an application, and some scholarships and programs use scores separately.
13.3% (fall 2024, 10,027 applicants). Rates vary by program and residency, so read the overall figure as context, not a personal prediction.
No. A middle 50% is a description of last year's group, not a cutoff in either direction. It tells you where a score is competitive, which is the useful part for planning test dates.
Want to know what your teen needs for Bates? Their target, their gap and the weeks to close it are what we map in the free Strategy Session.
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