Why COA?
Join a community of curious, purpose-driven thinkers
Why choose college of the atlantic
Design your path, drive real-world change
A college like no other—designed for students who want to change the world.
Founded in 1969 as the first—and only—college where every student designs a self-directed major in human ecology, COA blends disciplines, experiences, and community to prepare graduates for meaningful impact.
Key Outcomes
- 97% of grads employed or in graduate school within one year
- 50% pursue advanced degrees (Master’s/PhD)
- Alumni at Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, Copenhagen, and beyond
Custom Education
One degree, infinite possibilities
At COA, you don’t choose a major—you design one. Our single degree in human ecology allows you to integrate science, art, policy, and more in ways that reflect your passions and goals. With a 10:1 student–faculty ratio and an average class size of just 12, learning is deeply personal and collaborative. Without traditional departments, you work closely with faculty mentors to shape a curriculum that evolves with your interests and prepares you to tackle complex, real-world challenges.
Meaningful experience from day one
Learning at COA is hands-on from the start. Every student completes an internship and a capstone project, ensuring 100% experiential learning before graduation. Classrooms extend far beyond campus walls—organic farms, island research stations, wooded retreats, and Acadia National Park all become living laboratories where theory turns into practice and curiosity becomes action.
Explore Human Ecology
A community that empowers
With just 350 students, COA offers a close-knit environment where individualized support, lasting friendships, and meaningful impact are part of daily life. Students play an active role in shaping the college through shared governance, including weekly All-College Meetings where community members come together to discuss, debate, and make decisions that affect campus life.
Your laboratory: Bar Harbor & beyond
COA’s oceanfront campus sits alongside Acadia National Park, where mountains meet the sea and learning happens everywhere you look. Hike, kayak, and study in one of the most ecologically rich regions in the country. Through place-based learning, students engage directly with ecology, earth sciences, natural history, energy systems, sustainability, and the arts—using the landscape itself as a core part of the curriculum.
Sustainability in action
Sustainability isn’t a concept at COA—it’s a practice. The college has been carbon-neutral since 2007 and is on track to become fossil-fuel free by 2030. Recognized as the #1 Green College by The Princeton Review from 2016–2025, COA operates within a zero-waste framework and invests in regenerative farms, solar arrays, and Passive House buildings. Students lead the way through initiatives focused on discarded resources, renewable energy, and food justice.
Outcomes that speak volumes
- 97% career or grad-school placement within one year of graduation
- 55% pursue advanced degrees at top institutions (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Duke)
- Alumni impact: leaders in environmental science, policy, art, education, entrepreneurship, and more
Ready to build your own path?
Apply Now
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