Bowdoin

Bowdoin SAT and ACT Requirements

Bowdoin is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle. The middle 50% of enrolled first-year students scored 1470 to 1550 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT.

2026-27 policy

Test-Optional

SAT middle 50%

1470–1550

ACT middle 50%

33–35

Acceptance rate

7.1%

Bowdoin SAT scores by section

Section	25th percentile	75th percentile
Reading and Writing	730	770
Math	740	780
Total	1470	1550
ACT Composite	33	35

The total is the sum of the section percentiles, the standard way to estimate a middle 50% for the combined score.

Where your score puts you

Below 1470: lower than three quarters of enrolled students. A retake has the most upside here, and at a test-optional school you can also leave the score off.
1470 to 1550: in line with the class. The rest of your application decides it.
Above 1550: higher than three quarters of enrolled students. Testing is no longer what holds the application back.

Other colleges where a 1470 is in range Other colleges where a 1550 is in range Convert an ACT score

Keep these numbers

Email me Bowdoin's score ranges

The ranges on this page, plus a link to compare them with every other college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Bowdoin require the SAT or ACT?

Bowdoin is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle. Bowdoin has been test-optional since 1969 (it pioneered the policy) and its official test-optional-policy page confirms this remains current, with no submission requirement and no disadvantage for non-submitters. No future required-testing change found.

What SAT score do you need for Bowdoin?

The published range is not a cutoff. Among enrolled first-year students, a quarter scored below 1470, half scored between 1470 and 1550, and a quarter scored above 1550. A score at or above 1550 puts you ahead of most of the class on testing; a score below 1470 works against you.

What ACT score do you need for Bowdoin?

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 33 to 35 on the ACT. On the official conversion table that is an SAT 1460 to 1540.

Score ranges: College Scorecard API — U.S. Department of Education (api.data.gov) and Editorial overrides layer (overrides.json) — Common Data Set & institutional sources. They describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. Test policy: Bowdoin admissions, verified for 2026-27.