Colby College
Colby College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Colby College Featured Rankings
- #3 Best Private Colleges in Maine
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Maine 2026
- #3 Best Small Colleges in Maine
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Best Colleges in Maine
- #12 Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
- #17 Earth Sciences Liberal Arts Colleges
- #22 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
About Colby College
According to Wikipedia, Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner Colby saw the institution renamed again to Colby University before settling on its current title, reflecting its liberal arts college curriculum, in 1899. Approximately 2,000 students from more than 60 countries are enrolled annually. The college offers 54 major fields of study and 30 minors.
Colby College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,786 | 7% | 94% | 87% | 1505 | 33 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Colby College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $72,910 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $5,263 |
| 30K - 48K | $2,358 |
| 48K - 75K | $3,132 |
| 75K - 110K | $10,750 |
| 110K+ | $53,340 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Colby College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Colby College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $88,776 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Colby College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 2,472 | 2,472 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Colby College?
Colby College is located at 4000 Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, ME 04901-8840.
How Safe is Colby College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Colby College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Colby College has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Waterville has a violent crime rate of 0.15% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.07%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Colby College Known For?
Colby College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Sociology
- Economics
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Physics
- Political Science
- Biology
- Education
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- Computer Science
- Anthropology
Colby College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Colby College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Colby College ranks #134 in the U.S. and #367 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesColby College ranks #145 in the U.S. and #512 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesColby College ranks #168 in the U.S. and #751 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesColby College ranks #178 in the U.S. and #727 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesColby College ranks #189 in the U.S. and #554 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesColby College ranks #202 in the U.S. and #844 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesColby College ranks #207 in the U.S. and #792 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesColby College ranks #238 in the U.S. and #896 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesColby College ranks #239 in the U.S. and #989 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesColby College ranks #273 in the U.S. and #1090 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesColby College ranks #273 in the U.S. and #671 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesColby College ranks #324 in the U.S. and #1698 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesColby College ranks #333 in the U.S. and #1462 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesColby College ranks #335 in the U.S. and #1104 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesColby College ranks #347 in the U.S. and #1523 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesColby College ranks #431 in the U.S. and #1328 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWho Are Colby College's Most Influential Alumni?
Colby College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Sociology, and Literature. Here are some of Colby College's most famous alumni:
- Marston Morse
- An American mathematician.
- David G. Bromley
- An American academic and sociologist .
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
- An American biographer and historian .
- Robert B. Parker
- An American crime writer.
- Annie Proulx
- An American novelist, short story and non-fiction author.
- Eleanor Duckworth
- An American psychologist, editor.
- Benjamin Butler
- A Union Army general, lawyer, politician .
- David M. Raup
- An American paleontologist .
- Stuart Rothenberg
- An American writer and political analyst.
- Peter D. Hart
- An American political consultant.
- Alan Taylor
- An American historian.
- Shailer Mathews
- An American theologian .
Who Are Colby College's Most Influential Faculty?
Colby College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Sociology, and Literature. Here are some of Colby College's most famous faculty:
