Colby College

Waterville, ME · Private Nonprofit

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6.8%
Acceptance Rate
1510
Median SAT
$80,490
Median Earnings
17,786
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Down 6.2 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Economics $57,995
$11,234 $110,878
Political Science and Governme... $47,118
$11,234 $110,878
Anthropology $44,971
$11,234 $110,878
International/Global Studies $42,682
$11,234 $110,878
English Language and Literatur... $41,193
$11,234 $110,878
Psychology, General $38,289
$11,234 $110,878
Area Studies $33,993
$11,234 $110,878
Biology, General $30,771
$11,234 $110,878
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 17,786 1,215 6.8% 49.8%
2022 16,890 1,286 7.6% 52.3%
2021 15,857 1,407 8.9% 47.4%
2020 13,922 1,430 10.3% 39.6%
2019 13,584 1,314 9.7% 39.7%
2018 12,313 1,608 13.1% 36.1%
2017 11,190 1,767 15.8% 31.2%
2016 9,833 1,840 18.7% 27.7%
2015 7,593 1,710 22.5% 29.7%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$80,490
Median Earnings (6 years)
$60,052
Median Debt
$19,157
6-Year Graduation Rate
90.2%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

Tuition
$56,930
Fees
$2,500
Room & Board
$15,295
Total Cost of Attendance
$74,725

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $6,072
$30-48k income $1,331
$48-75k income $2,247
$75-110k income $15,937
$110k+ income $52,893

Popular Majors

  • 1 Economics
  • 2 Political Science and Government
  • 3 Neurobiology and Neurosciences
  • 4 Computer Science
  • 5 International/Global Studies

Highest Earning Majors

  • Economics $57,995
  • Political Science and Government $47,118
  • Anthropology $44,971
  • International/Global Studies $42,682
  • English Language and Literature, General $41,193

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 2,284
International 11%
Women 51%
Race/Ethnicity
White 54%
Asian 11%
Hispanic 8%
Black 5%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 44%
Avg: $57,663 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 13%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 9%
Low debt burden
School's Own Grants 41%
Avg: $65,296 from school funds