College of the Atlantic enriches the liberal arts tradition through a distinctive educational philosophy--human ecology. A human ecological perspective integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate--and ultimately improve--the relationships between human beings and our social and natural communities. The human ecological perspective guides all aspects of education, research, activism, and interactions among the college's students, faculty, staff, and trustees. The College of the Atlantic community encourages, prepares, and expects students to gain expertise, breadth, values, and practical experience necessary to achieve individual fulfillment and to help solve problems that challenge communities everywhere.
< CollapseThe College of the Atlantic, founded in 1969, is an alternative liberal-arts college located on Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor, Maine. It awards a bachelor's degree and a master's degree solely in the field of human ecology, though with a variety of emphases. The college is extremely small, with approximately 280 students and a full-time faculty of 25. Its curriculum emphasizes student-directed projects and community service, with an environmental core.
The school's curriculum is based on human ecology, and every freshman is required to take an introductory core course in human ecology during their first term. Other requirements include two courses in each focus area (Environmental Studies, Arts and Design, Human Studies), one quantitative reasoning course, one history course, and one writing course. The intention is for students to explore and consolidate ideas from different disciplines and to construct their own understanding of human ecology.
College of the Atlantic does not have departments and all faculty members consider themselves human ecologists in addition to their formal specialization. Currently, there are professors of anthropology, English, political science and peace studies, economics, ecology, biology, botany, environmental science, law, environmental studies, languages, philosophy, history, education, and music.
As a graduation requirement, each student must complete a final project in their last term of enrollment, in addition to a mandatory internship. Methods and content are decided by the student, and projects have included computer programs, scientific papers, ethnographic research, and compilations of music.
Students come from 48 states and 40 foreign countries. College of the Atlantic has the second highest percentage of international students of any college in the country, having an international population of 17%. These students primarily graduate from United World Colleges and are awarded full tuition scholarships through the Shelby Davis Scholarship.
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| Percent of Students International: | 17% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 34% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 26,613 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 26,238 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 375 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,546 | 45% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 977 | 21% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 12,635 | 82% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 5,438 | 85% | |
Any Aid: |
94% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 66% (Selective) |
| Application Fee: | $ 45.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Not Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Recommended |
| Test Scores: | Not Required |
