COA in Bar Harbor, Maine | Learning at Land’s Edge

Bar Harbor

Your college town and coastal home

College of the Atlantic is located in Bar Harbor, a small, welcoming town on Mount Desert Island with stunning access to Acadia National Park and the Atlantic Ocean. With around 5,000 year-round residents and a population that swells each summer, Bar Harbor is a dynamic place to live, learn, and explore.

Acadia is literally your backyard. Hike, bike, swim—get out there. Every weekend trip has been a mental recharge.
— Thea

Life in Town

Cozy in winter, vibrant in summer

Bar Harbor blends small-town charm with coastal adventure. Whether you’re grabbing a coffee downtown, skating at the YMCA, or watching lobster boats glide into the harbor, the town is always part of your COA experience.

Local highlights include:

Year-round cafes, theaters, and bookstores
Island-wide biking, hiking, kayaking, and sailing
Music, markets, food festivals, and pop-up art events
Professors in hiking boots, not suits—you’ll bump into them at the grocery store

Painting seafoam, watching storms, staring at stars with friends—this place makes you feel connected and small in the best way.
— Rosie

Mount Desert Island

A creative, connected island community

MDI is home to farmers, artists, scientists, and educators working in concert with nature. From shared community gardens to climate initiatives and local food networks, the island is rich with values that align with human ecology.

Student opportunities across MDI:

Volunteer with conservation organizations
Intern at environmental nonprofits
Shop locally and attend community events
Access dozens of trailheads, beaches, and lakes

There’s so much nature and activity. I love the town’s vibe—and there’s even vegan ice cream.
— Morgan

Acadia National Park

One of the most beautiful backyards in the world

Just steps from campus, Acadia’s granite peaks, carriage roads, tide pools, and forests become your field sites and creative inspiration. Every student receives a trail map during orientation—because we know you’ll use it.

COA and Acadia connections:

Research internships through the Acadia Scholars program
Courses in field ecology, geology, interpretive design, and national park policy
Creative work in landscape painting, nature writing, and sound studies
Regular community science contributions and park symposiums

Check out our Acadia National Park academic projects page!

Stories from the Field

Two Maine colleges among 13 institutions receiving $3.275 million to tackle student mental health

Unity Environmental University and College of the Atlantic to receive capacity grant designed as a precursor to a total of $8.5 million toward students’ wellbeing. Read More

Local right whale advocates say they feel sidelined by the powerful Maine lobster industry [Maine Public]

College of the Atlantic Allied Whale director and professor Sean Todd advocates for protecting local right whales from harmful policies. Read More

Work presented at Maine Sustainability and Water Conference

Five College of the Atlantic students present posters featuring work from their independent studies in earth sciene at the Maine Sustainability and Water Conference. Read More