Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates College is one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation. The independent, non-profit educational institution was founded in 1855 by Maine abolitionists. It is the first coeducational college in New England. Bates College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the American Chemical Society. Admission is given irrespective of race, religion, national origin, or sex. Bates conducts degree-earning courses in arts and science. The college has 24 department majors, eight interdisciplinary program majors, and 24 secondary concentrations. Economics, psychology, biology, English, political science, history, and environmental studies are the main majors at the college. Off-campus study opportunities are available for selected students. The college organizes fall semester abroad programs with Bates faculty. There are more than 80 different extracurricular clubs and organizations in this college. Bates is a member of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Library Consortium and Maine Info Net (infonet.maine.edu), an interlibrary book-loaning coop with more than 2.5 million unique titles. The colleges facilities include the museum of art, a library with special collections, a multicultural center, an amphitheater, a language resource center, athletic facilities, a student wellness center, plus 13 residential halls and 25 residential houses.