Colby College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Waterville, Maine. It enrolls 2,407 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar4-1-4 Plan
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Excellent
87/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes93
Value90
Affordability36
Selectivity97
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Colby College admits 7.1% of applicants, which makes it a reach for almost everyone, so treat it as one option among several.
Acceptance Rate
7.1%
Highly Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1460 – 1550
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
32 – 34
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Colby College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
2.8 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,180 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$69,600
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,890
Room & Board (off-campus)
$6,370
Books & Supplies
$850
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$850
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$850
Total Cost of Attendance
$85,420
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$4,049
$30,001 – $48,000
$1,251
$48,001 – $75,000
$3,666
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,106
Over $110,000
$46,511
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,50010%percentile
$8,79025%percentile
$19,157Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$27,49590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,450
↓ $7,707
No Pell $17,500
↓ $1,657
Female students $14,849
↓ $4,308
Male students $17,000
↓ $2,157
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,730, less than completers ($19,157), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
92% of students who start here finish within six years, and 92% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
92%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
92%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $80,490 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$80,490
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$59,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$85,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $25,400, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↑
3.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,407 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,407
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
11%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 54.9%1,321
International 11.2%269
Asian 10.2%246
Hispanic 8.4%202
Other 7.4%177
Black 4.8%115
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Colby College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Colby College offers
a varied set of programs:
35 distinct programs across
15 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.8B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$113,416
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
250 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
57
23%
$160,530
Associate Professors
69
28%
$117,033
Assistant Professors
87
35%
$95,542
Instructors
32
13%
$76,919
Lecturers
4
2%
$79,251
No Rank
1
0%
$38,000
Pros & Cons of Colby College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Colby College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Colby College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions about Colby College
The questions families ask most about Colby College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Colby College hard to get into?
Yes. Colby College is among the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 7.1%. Successful applicants typically have top-decile test scores and strong academic, extracurricular, and recommendation profiles.
What is the acceptance rate at Colby College?
7.1% of applicants are admitted. Roughly one applicant in ten gets in, so apply only alongside options you are more likely to win. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Colby College?
Aim for 1550 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1460 and 1550 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Colby College?
Aim for 34 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 32 and 34 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Colby College cost?
Budget around $17,180 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Colby College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $80,490 a year against a net price of $17,180, about 4.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Colby College known for?
Mostly Economics, Political Science, Natural Resources Conservation and Research. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Colby College graduates earn?
About $80,490 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Colby College accredited?
Yes. Colby College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Colby College?
2,407 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Colby College?
92% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Colby College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Colby College located?
Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine.
What programs does Colby College offer?
35 different programs, most commonly Economics, Political Science, Natural Resources Conservation and Research. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Colby College?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Maine
Other colleges in Maine share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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