College of the Atlantic

Located in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Mount Desert Island, the College of the Atlantic (COA) occupies a former summer estate overlooking Frenchman Bay and borders Acadia National Park. Founded in 1969, COA offers a single interdisciplinary degree in Human Ecology, allowing students to design individualized courses of study that integrate environmental sciences, arts, and social sciences. The campus encompasses 37 oceanfront acres featuring a mix of restored Victorian-era buildings and modern facilities, including organic farms, research vessels, and two offshore island research stations. Students reside primarily in on-campus housing, which includes traditional dormitories and sustainable living communities, and all participate in campus governance through the college's unique consensus-based decision-making model. As part of its environmental focus, the college maintains a commitment to sustainability, operating as one of the first carbon-neutral campuses in North America.