Bowdoin College vs University of Southern California: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Bowdoin College is the more selective of the two, admitting 6.5% of applicants versus 11.2% at University of Southern California. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $8,234 per year at Bowdoin College versus $20,567 at University of Southern California. Bowdoin College's yield rate is 57.9%, versus 40.2% at University of Southern California.

Bowdoin College vs University of Southern California: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricBowdoin CollegeUniversity of Southern California
Overall acceptance rate6.5%11.2%
Early acceptance rate13.1%8.4%
SAT middle 50%1470–15401470–1540
Avg unweighted GPA3.93.86
Yield rate57.9%40.2%
Class size5573,759
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$8,234$20,567
Net price, over $110,000 income$43,567$55,234

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2025–26 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bowdoin College harder to get into than University of Southern California?

Yes. Bowdoin College admits 6.5% of applicants, compared with 11.2% at University of Southern California, making it the harder school to get into, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Bowdoin College or University of Southern California?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $8,234 per year at Bowdoin College and $20,567 at University of Southern California, so Bowdoin College is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

More comparisons

Bowdoin College vs Colby CollegeBowdoin College vs Middlebury CollegeBowdoin College vs University of Notre DameClaremont McKenna College vs University of Southern CaliforniaEmory University vs University of Southern CaliforniaMiddlebury College vs University of Southern California

Stats compare the schools — the simulation compares you against each school's applicant pool.

Estimate your chances at Bowdoin College and University of Southern California