Graduates of Bates College earn median 4-year earnings of $70,028, placing Bates College in the 72.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Bates College #210 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects both the institution's liberal arts foundation and its ability to position graduates into stable, well-compensated career pathways across multiple fields. The earnings pattern spans the social sciences and humanities. Economics is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. The Research Psychology program graduates 83 students annually and anchors the institution's degree output. The Economics program graduates 68 students with median 4-year earnings of $110,880, earning 1.3x the national benchmark for the field. The Political Science program graduates 57 students with median 4-year earnings of $80,714, at 1.3x the benchmark. Natural Resources Conservation and Research and Biology, General round out the top five by enrollment, each supporting graduates into careers aligned with liberal arts preparation and regional labor-market demand in ME.
Graduates of Bates College earn median 4-year earnings of $70,028, placing Bates College in the 72.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Bates College #210 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects both the institution's liberal arts foundation and its ability to position graduates into stable, well-compensated career pathways across multiple fields. The earnings pattern spans the social sciences and humanities. Economics is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. The Research Psychology program graduates 83 students annually and anchors the institution's degree output. The Economics program graduates 68 students with median 4-year earnings of $110,880, earning 1.3x the national benchmark for the field. The Political Science program graduates 57 students with median 4-year earnings of $80,714, at 1.3x the benchmark. Natural Resources Conservation and Research and Biology, General round out the top five by enrollment, each supporting graduates into careers aligned with liberal arts preparation and regional labor-market demand in ME.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Bates College earn median 4-year earnings of $70,028, placing Bates College in the 72.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Bates College #210 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects both the institution's liberal arts foundation and its ability to position graduates into stable, well-compensated career pathways across multiple fields. The earnings pattern spans the social sciences and humanities. Economics is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. The Research Psychology program graduates 83 students annually and anchors the institution's degree output. The Economics program graduates 68 students with median 4-year earnings of $110,880, earning 1.3x the national benchmark for the field. The Political Science program graduates 57 students with median 4-year earnings of $80,714, at 1.3x the benchmark. Natural Resources Conservation and Research and Biology, General round out the top five by enrollment, each supporting graduates into careers aligned with liberal arts preparation and regional labor-market demand in ME.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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 provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with labor-market demand and graduate-pathway outcomes.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Bates College earn median 4-year earnings of $70,028, placing Bates College in the 72.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Bates College #210 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance reflects both the institution's liberal arts foundation and its ability to position graduates into stable, well-compensated career pathways across multiple fields. The earnings pattern spans the social sciences and humanities. Economics is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. The Research Psychology program graduates 83 students annually and anchors the institution's degree output. The Economics program graduates 68 students with median 4-year earnings of $110,880, earning 1.3x the national benchmark for the field. The Political Science program graduates 57 students with median 4-year earnings of $80,714, at 1.3x the benchmark. Natural Resources Conservation and Research and Biology, General round out the top five by enrollment, each supporting graduates into careers aligned with liberal arts preparation and regional labor-market demand in ME.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
