Colby College

Colby College Overview

Colby College is a private, nonprofit school in the small town setting of Waterville, Maine. Colby was founded in 1813 and enrolls 2,262 undergrads and no graduate students. Colby offers housing for up to 1,981 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 90% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

📆 Mark your calendar! The deadline to apply regular decision to Colby for Fall 2023 is January 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should find out if they have been admitted by April 1.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Colby!

Are you interested in music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of Colby's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Colby students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Colby does not have any greek life opportunties.

Planning to play sports? Colby has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Colby on the Student Life page.

Is Colby a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can give you a sense of how selective a university is.

Let's take a look at these areas to get a better idea of what Colby offers and if the college might be the right college for you.

2022 Acceptance Rate for Colby College

The acceptance rate at Colby is 9%. Last year, 15,857 students applied to Colby and 1,407 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Colby

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. Retention measures how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Approximately 94% of first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Colbycome back the next year. Around 87% of students who started at Colby earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for Colby Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 91% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Check with Colby directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.

Colby's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

For more information about Colby's endowment, check with the school directly. For each full-time student, Colby spends about $20,915 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Colby

Tuition cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Colby meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Colby full-time are awarded $63,725 a year in financial aid, on average.

Graduates in the class of 2022 had an average of $27,248 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Colby.

Based on this information, how does Colby sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Colby a good school for you?

If Colby College seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Exploring Schools?

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Where is Colby?

Colby is located in the small town setting of Waterville, Maine, less than an hour from Portland.

If you are interested in seeing Colby for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 95 to Waterville, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Augusta Municipal.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Colby and Waterville are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Maine?

See a full list of colleges in Maine and save your favorites to your college list.