BAR HARBOR — College of the Atlantic will welcome 90 new students this fall, the largest incoming class in the school’s history.

According to college officials, 70 are first-year students and 20 are transfers. The college experienced a 41 percent increase in first-year applications over last year’s record number. For the first time since the college was founded 25 years ago, the admissions office closed its enrollment for the fall term early in May.

“More and more high school graduates are looking for an interdisciplinary and self-directed education,” Steve Thomas, director of admissions, said. “The college’s human ecology focus has proven to be increasingly attractive to prospective students.”

Thomas also credits the college’s new early admission plan for the increase in the candidate pool.

New students will come from 23 states and five foreign countries, including the Czech Republic, Spain and Italy. Ten students will be coming from the West Coast states.

Maine continues to be the state represented by the largest number of new students. Fifteen Mainers will enter the college this fall.