4800 MayflowerHill
Waterville, ME
Founded in Waterville, ME in 1813, Colby is one of America’s most selective liberal arts colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby offers an academic program rooted in the deep exploration of ideas and enriched by connections with world-class faculty. Students and professors work in tandem, pushing intellectual boundaries, testing hypotheses, and creating multidisciplinary approaches and solutions to complex scenarios. Research, internships, and global opportunities across the curriculum connect the liberal arts to the world.
Applications Accepted: Common App, Coalition App, QuestBridge
Do you require test scores for the Class of 2022? No, we are test optional
Admissions policies for Undocumented and DACA Students: Colby considers applications from all students regardless of citizenship or background. Each year our admissions counselors read thousands of applications to enroll a class of 500 students. Your application is what will set you apart from other applicants. Tell us what interests you. Share your accomplishments and what you’ve learned along the way. Emphasize your dedication to both academic and extracurricular activities. Tell us your story. Don’t let worry about costs keep you from applying. Our financial aid packages meet 100 percent of your demonstrated financial need, making this education available to students from every background.
Forms Required: FAFSA, CSS Profile
Do you meet full need? Yes
As part of the Colby Commitment we meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, without including loans in our financial aid packages. Families earning up to $65,000 with typical assets can expect a parent or guardian contribution of $0. Families earning up to $150,000 with typical assets will have a parent or guardian contribution of no more than $15,000. These policies position Colby as one of the most affordable four-year colleges in the country. More information can be found at this link.
Additional financial aid information: Colby’s First-Generation-to-College/Low-Income Program for Student Success (FLI Program) is dedicated to supporting FLI students and their families throughout their Colby career. The FLI program provides the foundation and continued building blocks for success throughout students’ four years at Colby. The program offers a peer mentoring cohort model for first-year students to be matched with FLI second- through fourth-year students; a Pre-Orientation program prior to First Year Orientation to support a successful transition; a set of workshops, co-curricular activities, and trips throughout all four years geared towards building community, reducing academic barriers, creating awareness, and highlighting the contributions of the FLI Family.
Student Experience
Average Class Size: 12
Retention Rate (percentage of students who return for year two): 93.4%
6-Year Graduation Rate: 96%
Majors: Click Here
Other: Our interdisciplinary computation program, which pairs computer science with any other discipline and has served as a model for similar initiatives at other colleges and universities around the country, including Stanford University which now also has a CS + X program.
Colby established the first cross-disciplinary institute for artificial intelligence (AI) at a liberal arts college. Made possible by a $30-million gift from the Davis family and trustee of its charitable foundation Andrew Davis ’85, LL.D. ’15, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence provides new pathways for talented students and faculty to research, create, and apply AI and machine learning (ML) across disciplines while setting a precedent for how liberal arts colleges can shape the future of AI.
Student Population
2,100 Undergraduate Students
Geographic diversity- more than 45 states and 70 countries represented. Students of Color-more than 27%. International students- more than 8%. First-generation students- more than 10%
