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Colby College
Colby College admits 7 of every 100 applicants — a reach school for nearly everyone applying to Colby College, whatever the rest of the profile says.
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Colby College anchors the college town of Waterville, ME, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. International students are a visible presence here — 11.2% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Economics, where graduates median $103,491 four years out. Faculty pay averages $158,484 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 2,407 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 93.7% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1440 and 1550 — above the ME middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Colby College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
You can apply to Colby College without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1440 and 1550; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 710 | 740 | 760 |
| SAT Math | 730 | 770 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 32 | 33 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Colby College received 17,786 applications and admitted 1,215 (6.8%), with 605 enrolling.
How Colby College compares
| Colby College | Maine median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 7.1% | 81% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $69,600 | $23,304 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $80,490 | $48,653 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Colby College student earns $80,490 — 65% above the Maine median of $48,653 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Colby College lists tuition at $69,600 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Colby College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $69,600 as the ceiling, not the bill.
Colby College enrolls 2,407 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs Colby College's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
88.8% of Colby College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 33.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $69,600 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Colby College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Economics | $103,491 |
| Political Science and Government | $96,621 |
| Area Studies | $64,207 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $55,719 |
Median earnings for these 4 Colby College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $80,490 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 34 additional Colby College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Colby College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1440–1550 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 7.1% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Colby College's acceptance rate?
6.8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 1,215 admitted from 17,786 applicants.
How much does Colby College cost?
At Colby College, published tuition is $69,600 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Colby College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Colby College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $80,490 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Maine
- Bowdoin College — 7.1% admitted
- Bates College — 13.3% admitted
- Maine College of Health Professions — 71.4% admitted
- College of the Atlantic — 70.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.