Approximately 1,900 copies of The Student are printed every week and distributed to hundreds of alumni, parents, and other friends of the college.

The paper is published each Wednesday while classes are in session and can be found in distribution boxes located in Common, Ladd Library, Pettingill Hall, the Den and Post and Print.

In 1879, the literary society formed a separate publication called The Garnet, and thereafter The Student focused primarily on news.

[4] In the early twentieth century, the paper abandoned the smaller literary magazine format and adopted a larger broadsheet layout.

[6] Generally The Bates Student has been the college's primary newspaper, although it had some competition when The John Galt Press was being published.