Bates College

Bates College is a private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine. Founded in 1855, it was among the first coeducational institutions in New England and admitted students regardless of race or gender during its early years. Bates offers undergraduate programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with an emphasis on a broad-based liberal arts curriculum and a senior thesis requirement for graduation. The college follows a 4-4-1 academic calendar that includes a short-term course in the spring. Known for its residential campus and close faculty-student interaction, Bates attracts students interested in interdisciplinary study, research opportunities, and engagement in community and civic life.

Bates College was founded in 1855 in Lewiston, Maine, originally chartered as the Maine State Seminary by the Maine State Legislature. Established under the leadership of abolitionist Oren Burbank Cheney, who became its first president, the institution was among the first in New England to practice coeducation and to admit students regardless of race. In 1863, the school was renamed Bates College in honor of benefactor Benjamin Bates, and it received a college charter in 1864. During the late nineteenth century, Bates expanded its curriculum and campus facilities, and it awarded degrees to one of the earliest cohorts of women graduates in the region. In the twentieth century, Bates College strengthened its liberal arts focus, introduced new academic programs, and developed facilities such as libraries and arts centers. Today, Bates College remains a residential liberal arts institution rooted in its founding principles of access and academic rigor.