Top Ranked Programs
Bates College's program mix is anchored in the social sciences and humanities — a signature aligned with the institution's liberal arts identity. Research Psychology is the largest program with 83 graduates, followed by Economics with 68 graduates earning median earnings of $110,880, Political Science with 57 graduates earning $80,714, Natural Resources Conservation and Research with 40 graduates, and Biology, General with 37 graduates. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 590 students annually, several programs deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes. The highest-earning programs at Bates College reflect the institution's strength in analytical and professional fields within the social sciences. Economics leads with graduates earning median earnings of $110,880 four years after enrollment, followed by Political Science with 57 graduates earning $80,714, and English Language and Literature, General with 20 graduates earning $62,082. These outcomes reflect the liberal arts advantage: students develop analytical and communication skills across disciplines, positioning them for sustained earnings growth in professional and graduate-school-dependent pathways. The program portfolio is distributed across Social Sciences at 27%, other STEM fields at 7%, and Arts at 7%, with additional strength in humanities and natural sciences. Many Bates College graduates pursue graduate and professional school — law, medicine, business, and doctoral programs — where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with labor-market demand and graduate-pathway outcomes.