Bates versus Conn College

Corbett
Fri, 11 Nov 2016 18:25:38 +0000

Another point of comparison between these two schools:

Bates has always been coed (in fact, it is one of the oldest coed schools in the country). It enrolls essentially equal numbers of male and female students.

Conn was historically a women’s college (it was the “sister school” to all-male Wesleyan). Women’s colleges that go coed often face a deficit of male applicants (see also: Skidmore, Vassar). For Fall 2015, the male/female ratio at Conn was 37/63, or about 1 male for every 1.7 females.

Given its history and continuing gender imbalance, Conn is often considered to have a more pronounced “female orientation” than other NESCAC schools (such as Bates). For example, Conn is known for terrific dance and drama programs – but it is also the only NESCAC school without a football team. The perception that Conn’s academics “are not as highly regarded as those at Bates” probably reflects, to some extent, the greater difficulty that Conn has in attracting well-qualified male students. Conn doesn’t seem to have a problem attracting well-qualified women, but rankings like USNews consider the school as a whole.