Bates, as one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation, is a welcoming community whose members care deeply about the rigorous, challenging, and rewarding life of ideas and principles, and value their exchange and examination. A 10-1 student-faculty ratio makes possible close collaborations in classroom and laboratory, and the Bates learning experience is honed through seminars, research,
service-learning, and the capstone of senior thesis. Typically, two-thirds of Bates' 1,800 students study abroad. Co-curricular life is rich: most students participate in club and varsity sports; many participate in performing arts; and almost all students participate in one of more than 90 student-run clubs or organizations. Alumni frequently cite the capacities they developed at Bates for critical assessment, analysis, expression, aesthetic sensibility and independent thought. About 40 percent of students participate in career internships, and more than two-thirds of recent graduates enroll in graduate study within 10 years after graduation. When Bates was founded in 1855, it was New England's first co-ed college. Since then, we have admitted students no matter their nationality, race, religion, sex, or socio-economic status. Our founders knew that making this type of education open to as many people as possible would lead to future leaders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who could take on the defining issues of their generations. Graduates leave Bates willing and equipped to critique the world (and the institution itself). We believe this is the right way to educate.
