College of the Atlantic (COA)
Type & Location: COA is a private liberal arts college located in Bar Harbor, on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
Founding & Mission: Founded in 1969, COA is unique in that all undergraduates major in Human Ecology.
Curriculum:
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The human ecology major is highly interdisciplinary: students take courses across environmental sciences, the arts, humanities, social sciences, design, etc.
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Graduation requirements include a senior project, a human ecology essay, and a mandatory internship during their four years.
Values: The philosophy emphasizes combining action and scholarship, passion with critical reasoning, and valuing multiple “ways of knowing.”
Sustainability: COA has a long-standing environmental commitment — for example, they were early adopters of renewable energy and have made strong sustainability pledges.
Student Body: Very small scale — only a few hundred undergrads.
Financial Aid: Very strong — over 80% of students receive need-based financial aid.

