Colby College
Waterville, ME4000 Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, ME 04901-8840
207-859-4000
Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States. Colby competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
The college offers 54 major fields of study and 30 minors, and has an endowment of over $700 million. Students may also pursue an Honors Program, which culminates in a senior thesis and an opportunity to study abroad.
The college has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 19. It also offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including more than 100 student organizations and clubs.
Colby College was founded in 1813 by the Massachusetts legislature, making it the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States. The college was named after prominent Baptist preacher and early benefactor, Rev. Dr. James Colby.
The college's original campus was located on what is now the campus of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The college moved to its current Waterville, Maine, campus in 1825.
The college's first president was Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, who served from 1813 to 1815. The college's first classes were held in 1814, with six students in attendance.
In 1818, the college awarded its first degree, to John T. Gorman. Gorman would go on to become a prominent lawyer and judge in Maine.
In 1825, the college moved to its current Waterville, Maine, campus. The move was precipitated by the construction of the Kennebec Canal, which made transportation to the Lewiston campus impractical.
The college's first building on the Waterville campus, Coram Library, was dedicated in 1826.
In 1833, Rev. Levi Woodbury, a future U.S. Supreme Court justice, became the college's third president. Under his leadership, the college experienced significant growth, with the addition of new buildings and programs.
In 1871, the college admitted its first female students.
In 1887, the college awarded its first Ph.D., to future president of Wesleyan University James Luther Adams.
In 1903, the college became a coeducational institution.
In 1925, the college established a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
In the years following World War II, the college experienced significant growth, with the addition of new buildings and programs.
In the 1960s, the college became embroiled in the civil rights movement, as students and faculty participated in protests and sit-ins.
In the 1970s, the college began to admit students from a wider range of economic backgrounds, through the establishment of a need-blind admissions policy.
In the 1980s, the college expanded its curriculum to include a wider range of liberal arts disciplines.
In the 1990s, the college launched a capital campaign that raised over $200 million for the construction of new facilities and the endowment of scholarships.
In the 2000s, the college continued to expand its curriculum and facilities, with the construction of a new science center and the establishment of new programs in environmental studies and international relations.
Today, Colby College is a leading liberal arts college, with a student body of over 2,000 and a faculty of over 200. The college offers 54 major fields of study and 30 minors, and has an endowment of over $700 million. Students may also pursue an Honors Program, which culminates in a senior thesis and an opportunity to study abroad. The college has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 19. It also offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including more than 100 student organizations and clubs.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 2155
Acceptance Rate: 10.27%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.colby.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.colby.edu/admission/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $76425
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $76425
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Colby College is $256531.73. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Colby College. For graduates of Colby College, we saw an average early-career income of $64900.00 and mid-career income of $111000.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.