Museum L-A Competitors

Founded in 1813, Colby College is the 12th oldest liberal arts college in the United States. Distinctive in its offerings, Colby provides an intimate, undergraduate-focused learning environment with a breadth of programs presenting students and faculty with unparalleled opportunities. A vibrant and fully integrated academic, residential, and cocurricular experience is sustained by a diverse and supportive community. Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby is a global institution with students representing nearly every U.S. state and approximately 70 countries. Colby’s model provides the scale and impact of larger universities coupled with intensive learning in a community committed to scholarship and discovery, multidisciplinary approaches to integrated learning, study in the liberal arts, and leading-edge programs addressing the world’s most complex challenges. Its network of partnerships with prestigious cultural, research, medical, and business institutions extends educational and scholarly collaborations, providing students with unmatched experiences leading to postgraduate success. The College’s wide variety of programs and labs provides students and the community access to unique experiences: the Colby College Museum of Art, the finest college art museum in the country, and the Lunder Institute for American Art have made the College a nationally and internationally recognized center for art scholarship; DavisConnects prepares students for lifelong success by combining a forward-thinking liberal arts education with extensive internship, research, and global opportunities for all students regardless of their personal networks and financial circumstances; and the 350,000-square-foot Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, opened in 2020, is the most advanced and comprehensive NCAA D-III facility in the country. In fall 2021, Colby opened the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the first such institute at a liberal arts college.

Bates College, widely regarded as one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation, is dedicated to the principle of active engagement. A 9-1 student-faculty ratio makes possible close collaborations in classroom and laboratory, and the Bates learning experience is honed through seminars, research, service-learning, and the capstone of senior thesis. Typically, two-thirds of Bates' 1,800 students study abroad. Co-curricular life is rich: most students participate in club and varsity sports; many participate in performing arts; and almost all students participate in one of more than 100 student-run clubs or organizations. Alumni frequently cite the capacities they developed at Bates for critical assessment, analysis, expression, aesthetic sensibility and independent thought. About 40 percent of students participate in career internships, and more than two-thirds of recent graduates enroll in graduate study within 10 years after graduation. Bates was founded in 1855 by Maine abolitionists, and Bates graduates have always included men and women from diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

With an extensive collection and nationally renowned exhibitions, the Portland Museum of Art is the cultural heart of Portland, Maine. The PMA boasts significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine—highlighting the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists. The museum brings it all to life with unparalleled programming. From special members events, Free School Tours, and a commitment to family activities to PMA Films, curator talks, and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio—it’s all happening at the PMA.