Bowdoin College vs Stanford University

Brunswick, ME · Stanford, CA · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate

Scorecard match plate

Pair ME:CA

PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-PAR · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-ACCEPT

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE ME × CA
  • ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
  • NET-PAR Net near-par
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
  • GAP-ACCEPT Largest gap · Acceptance Rate

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

One campus shows net-price relief; the peer does not

NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023

Over 2013–2023, only one school has a directional decline in average net price; the other stays a measured range. Cost gaps on this board are moving targets, not fixed snapshot deltas.

  • Stanford University: average net price fell -22.8% from $15,713 (2013) to $12,136 (2023), r² 0.57.
  • Bowdoin College: net price ranged $16,925–$22,840 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change +11.7% is not a trend (r² 0.01).
  • Bowdoin College: acceptance rate tightened -46.4% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.87).
  • Stanford University: acceptance rate tightened -31.3% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Bowdoin College vs Stanford University

  1. ACCEPTANCE-RATE Stanford University leads on acceptance rate (3.6% vs 7.1% at Bowdoin College)
  2. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(6 Stanford University leads on median earnings (6 yr) ($102,887 vs $61,692 at Bowdoin College)
  3. MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Stanford University leads on median debt at graduation ($12,000 vs $18,500 at Bowdoin College)

Bowdoin College profile · Stanford University profile · Compare other colleges

Also on the Scorecard board

Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions

On acceptance rate, who leads between Bowdoin College and Stanford University?
Stanford University leads on acceptance rate at 3.6% versus 7.1% at Bowdoin College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (6 yr), who leads between Bowdoin College and Stanford University?
Stanford University leads on median earnings (6 yr) at $102,887 versus $61,692 at Bowdoin College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Bowdoin College and Stanford University?
Stanford University leads on median debt at graduation at $12,000 versus $18,500 at Bowdoin College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); acceptance rate focus for this pair · 2025