Getting in
For Fall 2024, 19,187 first-year students applied to Colby, 1,360 were admitted and 628 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 7.1%.
Source: IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2024, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab), first-time, degree-seeking first-year students. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Colby does not post a Common Data Set, so the counts above come from the Department of Education's IPEDS survey for Fall 2024, which gives one first-year rate for the whole college and none by major. Colby's own College Profile gives 21,065 applicants and 8 percent admitted for the Class of 2030, which entered in fall 2026 (as of August 1, 2026), without an admitted count.
Source: Colby Admissions, College Profile (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
48 majors across 1 school. Every major on Colby's official Majors and Minors list, each leading to the bachelor of arts. Concentrations within a major, minors and the independent major are left out.
Majors, A to Z48
- African-American Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Anthropology (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Chemistry-Biochemistry (B.A.)
- Classical Civilization (B.A.)
- Classical Civilization-Anthropology (B.A.)
- Classical Civilization-English (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Classics-English (B.A.)
- Computational Biology (B.A.)
- Computational Psychology (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Data Science (B.A.)
- East Asian Studies (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Educational Studies (B.A.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Computation (B.A.)
- Environmental Policy (B.A.)
- Environmental Science (B.A.)
- French Studies (B.A.)
- Geology (B.A.)
- German Studies (B.A.)
- Global Studies (B.A.)
- Government (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Jewish Studies (B.A.)
- Latin American Studies (B.A.)
- Mathematical Sciences (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Music-Interdisciplinary Computation (B.A.)
- Performance Theater and Dance (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Religious Studies (B.A.)
- Russian Language and Culture (B.A.)
- Science, Technology, and Society (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish (B.A.)
- Statistics (B.A.)
- Studio Art (B.A.)
- Theater and Dance-Interdisciplinary Computation (B.A.)
- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (B.A.)
Source: Colby College, Majors and Minors (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 15 | On or before December 15 | Yes |
| Early Decision II | January 4 | On or before February 15 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | On or before April 1 | No |
Optional and supporting materials are due November 22 for Early Decision I and January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. The financial aid deadline (CSS Profile, FAFSA and 2025 tax returns) is November 15 for Early Decision I, January 4 for Early Decision II and January 15 for Regular Decision. If you applied Regular Decision before November 15 or January 4, you can switch to Early Decision by sending a signed Early Decision Agreement by December 1 (Early Decision I) or February 1 (Early Decision II).
Source: Colby Admissions, Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: you submit the Early Decision Agreement, and if you are admitted you must withdraw all other applications immediately and may not start new ones. Colby has no early action plan.
Source: Colby Admissions, FAQ (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Colby is test-optional: you choose whether to send SAT or ACT scores. If you do not, you tell Colby by email or through the Standardized Test Score Update form in your admissions portal. If you send scores you may report them yourself, and Colby superscores all exams, including the ACT.
Source: Colby Admissions, FAQ (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Colby's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Colby Admissions, Requirements (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Colby, 2026-2027:
| Tuition and fees | $75,790 |
|---|---|
| Food and housing | $19,480 |
| Personal and books | $1,700 |
| Travel and transportation | not published |
| Total | $96,970 |
Travel runs $50 to $1,300 depending on your home address, so it is not in the $96,970 here; Colby gives the estimated cost of attendance as $97,020 to $98,270. Incoming first-year students are also billed a $500 fee for the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trips.
Source: Colby Admissions and Financial Aid, 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $4,049 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $1,251 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $3,666 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,106 |
| Over $110,000 | $46,511 |
| All incomes | $17,180 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Colby's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Colby College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · Private6.8% admitted$14,398 average net price
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · Private7.7% admitted$23,367 average net price
Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · Private6% admitted$29,519 average net price
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · Private8.6% admitted$17,716 average net price
Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private6.3% admitted$25,184 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.