Curricular freedom
highOne human-ecology degree supports highly individualized interdisciplinary paths.
What could vary?
Requirements and faculty capacity still shape what is practical.
Source: Human Ecology
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic is a tiny, interdisciplinary college where every undergraduate studies human ecology. Students design individualized paths connecting environmental science, policy, culture, and creative practice, while the island setting makes community and place unusually central to the experience.
- One degree, many paths
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Bar Harbor, Maine · Rural island setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 353
- Aggregate admission rate
- 70.2%
- Average net price
- $25,184
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Learning by doing
highInternships, community service, field learning, and a senior project make applied work central.
Faculty closeness
highTiny enrollment and small classes support recurring faculty contact.
What could vary?
Close scale cannot guarantee a productive mentoring relationship.
Source: Human Ecology
Outdoor access
highThe Mount Desert Island setting makes coastal and park access unusually immediate.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider College of the Atlantic if…
- You want an unusually self-directed interdisciplinary education.
- You want environmental questions woven through many fields.
- You value tiny classes and close faculty contact.
- You would embrace an island community and outdoor setting.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You want conventional majors and departments.
- You prefer a large university with extensive professional schools.
- You want frequent city access.
- You would find a very small community limiting.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
One degree, many paths
Every student earns a degree in human ecology and builds an interdisciplinary concentration around individual questions and goals.
Source: Human Ecology
Academic choices and structure
The curriculum combines guided freedom with resource-area requirements, an internship, community service, and a senior project.
Source: Academic Policies
A setting that shapes the experience
Bar Harbor, Maine gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Human Ecology
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
College of the Atlantic documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Human Ecology
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 353 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 70.2%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $25,184. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:1
Per 1,000 enrolled:2.8
Reporting campuses:1
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating College of the Atlantic across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating College of the Atlantic across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating College of the Atlantic across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Human Ecology - College of the Atlantic (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Academic Policies - College of the Atlantic (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- College of the Atlantic institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets College of the Atlantic’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION