Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college locate in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists. Bates confers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees. Bates College is one of the first colleges to be coeducational from establishment. The college is also the oldest continuously operating coeducational institution in New England. The college enrolls about 1,700 students. Originally a Baptist institution, Bates is now a nonsectarian institution.