Bachelor in Music (Bachelor's)

Tuition is Tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year is $63,800..

Students in the Music programme at Bates College participate in regular recitals, community performances, and concerto competitions. They compose music that is performed by professional musicians and engage in outreach by sharing music with patients in local hospitals and residents in senior homes. The programme emphasizes hands-on learning through performance, composition, and analysis across diverse musical traditions. Faculty provide individualized guidance in a low student-to-faculty setting.

Focus areas include Western classical music, non-Western classical music, popular music, experimental music, ethnomusicology, computer music.

The Music major requires 36 credits, distributed across music theory, history, performance, composition, and research. Students complete a senior project that may include a recital, composition, or scholarly paper.

Graduates pursue careers as music professors, sound effects designers, and performers in professional ensembles such as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Applicants must submit a completed application through the Common Application. A portfolio of musical work or performance recording is required for admission to the Music major. High school transcripts and standardized test scores are considered as part of the review.

The programme totals about 36 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, four-year programme. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 13% of applicants.

Students at Bates take part in a campus community that connects academic life with social responsibility and the wider city of Lewiston. Campus activities include arts and athletics, concerts, readings, plays, exhibitions, and dance performances. Public and community events, alumni activities, and student-led conversations add to the range of experiences available beyond scheduled classes. The college's calendars also include orientation, holidays, examinations, registration, commencement, and reunion.

Academic choice is central to the Bates experience. Students can choose from 38 majors and 29 minors, or create an interdisciplinary major through the Independent Interdisciplinary Studies program. The faculty community includes scholars, scientists, and artists who support students through personalized mentorship. Academic opportunities extend from first-year seminars to senior thesis work, with an emphasis on intellectual inquiry, reflection, personal growth, and engagement with the world beyond the campus.

International students can connect with Bates through virtual information sessions, student-led Bobcat Chats, and an on-demand virtual campus tour. The admission team provides regional contacts for applicants selecting their country or region, alongside opportunities to speak with current students or admission staff. Bates is located at 2 Andrews Road in Lewiston, Maine. In-person visits include a student-guided campus tour, an information session, and opportunities to learn about admission and financial aid.