The real 4-year cost of Bates College in Maine
Over the 16 years from 2010 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Bates College went from $41,360 to $73,760, an average of 3.9% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $73,7602026-27 tuition (single-fee college); required fees carried forward.source
2010–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $41,360 | – | – |
| 2011 | $42,800 | – | – |
| 2012 | $44,300 | – | – |
| 2013 | $45,650 | – | – |
| 2014 | $47,030 | – | – |
| 2015 | $48,435 | – | – |
| 2016 | $50,310 | – | – |
| 2017 | $52,042 | – | – |
| 2018 | $53,794 | – | – |
| 2019 | $55,683 | – | – |
| 2020 | $57,353 | – | – |
| 2021 | $59,062 | – | – |
| 2022 | $61,066 | – | – |
| 2023 | $63,478 | – | – |
| 2026 | $73,760 | $73,760 | – |
| 2027 | – | $76,635 | $76,229–$77,041 |
| 2028 | – | $79,622 | $78,781–$80,469 |
| 2029 | – | $82,726 | $81,418–$84,048 |
| 2030 | – | $85,951 | $84,143–$87,787 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $73,760 |
| Year 2 | $76,635 |
| Year 3 | $79,622 |
| Year 4 | $82,726 |
| 4-year total | $312,744 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $272,744
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $156,372
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $20,800/ yr
- rising 3.6% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $87,794
School’s own published rateFood and housing portion of the single comprehensive fee.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Bates College4-year schools with similar prices in Maine
Closest to Bates College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Bowdoin College$74,968
- Colby College$75,790
- College of the Atlantic$46,179
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine$42,834
- University of New England$42,550
- Maine College of Art & Design$41,398
- Thomas College$30,896
- Husson University$22,194
Use this data
Published figures for Bates College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.