The Bowdoin College psychology program is a Bachelor of Arts offered only at the undergraduate level, with no graduate or online option. Bowdoin is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine.
Bowdoin College was chartered in 1794 and is the oldest college in Maine. The Bowdoin College psychology program has been part of the curriculum since 1904, and today the college enrolls more than 1,800 undergraduates across over 40 majors, all at the undergraduate level. Bowdoin regularly appears among other small liberal arts colleges with psychology programs.
Bowdoin College Accreditation Details
Bowdoin College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the regional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for degree-granting institutions across New England. Regional accreditation means Bowdoin meets established standards for faculty qualifications, academic rigor, and institutional governance, and that credits and degrees earned there are recognized by other colleges and employers nationally. NECHE continued Bowdoin’s accreditation following its most recent review, and the college’s next decennial review is scheduled for fall 2026.
Bowdoin College Application Requirements
Bowdoin evaluates first-year applicants using the Common Application, official transcripts, and several additional factors, including:
- Academic success and course challenge level
- Letters of recommendation
- Writing samples
- Overall academic potential
- School and community involvement
- Character and personality
Bowdoin does not admit students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree. Students who have enrolled in a degree-granting program at another college or university should apply as transfer students. Those who’ve only taken college-level courses while still in high school apply as first-year candidates instead. Bowdoin is test-optional, so applicants aren’t required to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of the review.
Bowdoin College Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year is $74,268, plus a $700 student activities fee, not including housing, food, and other costs. Bowdoin is a need-blind, need-no-loan institution, meaning all need-based financial aid comes as grants and scholarships rather than loans, for domestic and international applicants alike. More than half of Bowdoin students in the most recent entering class received need-based aid, with an average financial aid package of about $69,000. Students must complete the FAFSA to be considered for need-based aid.
Psychology Programs at Bowdoin College
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Bowdoin offers psychology only as an undergraduate major or minor. There’s no graduate program and no online or hybrid option. The major requires ten courses spanning areas like neurophysiology, human language, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology, with an emphasis on scientific methods of inquiry and analysis. Students must earn a C- or better in every course counted toward the major. Incoming students with a score of 4 or higher on the AP Psychology exam, or 5 or higher on the IB Higher Level exam, can skip the introductory course, though all ten courses are still required for the major. Bowdoin awards a BA rather than a BS in psychology, so it’s worth understanding the differences between a BA and a BS in psychology before comparing programs across schools.
Majors can also pursue independent study, provided the work includes an original contribution and is approved by a faculty advisor, following American Psychological Association ethical guidelines for research. Many students extend this work into community partnerships, addressing topics like Alzheimer’s disease and anxiety treatment with local and global organizations. Current course offerings and faculty profiles are available directly from Bowdoin’s psychology department.
Bowdoin’s psychology program is limited to the undergraduate level. If you’re researching graduate or online psychology programs, select your state below to find accredited options that match what you need.