Getting in
For Fall 2025, 17,310 first-year students applied to Colgate, 3,030 were admitted and 805 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 17.5%.
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 2,975 | 648 | 21.8% |
| Out-of-state | 7,380 | 2,079 | 28.2% |
| International | 6,955 | 303 | 4.4% |
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Colgate's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by major.
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. Colgate has Early Decision I and II and no early action plan. Its Common Data Set prints its early decision counts under a "Fall 2024 entering class" label and repeats the prior edition's admit count, so no early decision rate is shown here.
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to Colgate as a whole, with no separate school to choose. One optional piece:
- Arts portfolio (optional). You may send a SlideRoom portfolio in visual art and media, music, theater or dance ($12 fee, waived with a Common App fee waiver), due with your application. A Colgate faculty member assesses it. You do not need a portfolio or audition to declare an arts major.
Source: Colgate Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
60 majors across 1 school. Every major in Colgate's official 2026-2027 University Catalog, each leading to the Bachelor of Arts (AB). Minors, pre-professional studies and teacher certification are left out.
Colgate University60
- Africana and Latin American Studies (AB)
- Anthropology (AB)
- Applied Mathematics (AB)
- Art History (AB)
- Arts and Humanities Topical Major (AB)
- Asian Studies (AB)
- Astrogeophysics (AB)
- Astronomy-Physics (AB)
- Biochemistry (AB)
- Biology (AB)
- Chemistry (AB)
- Chinese (AB)
- Classical Studies (AB)
- The Classics (AB)
- Computer Science (AB)
- Computer Science/Mathematics (AB)
- Economics (AB)
- Educational Studies (AB)
- English (AB)
- English, Creative Writing Emphasis (AB)
- Environmental Biology (AB)
- Environmental Economics (AB)
- Environmental Geography (AB)
- Environmental Geology (AB)
- Environmental Studies (AB)
- Film and Media Studies (AB)
- French (AB)
- Geography (AB)
- Geology (AB)
- German (AB)
- Greek (AB)
- History (AB)
- International Relations (AB)
- Japanese (AB)
- Latin (AB)
- Mathematical Economics (AB)
- Mathematics (AB)
- Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (AB)
- Molecular Biology (AB)
- Music (AB)
- Native American and Indigenous Studies (AB)
- Natural Sciences Topical Major (AB)
- Natural Sciences Topical Major in Marine - Freshwater Science (AB)
- Neuroscience (AB)
- Peace and Conflict Studies (AB)
- Philosophy (AB)
- Philosophy: Philosophy and Religion (AB)
- Physical Science (AB)
- Physics (AB)
- Political Science (AB)
- Psychological Science (AB)
- Religion (AB)
- Religion: Philosophy and Religion (AB)
- Russian and Eurasian Studies (AB)
- Social Science Topical Major (AB)
- Sociology (AB)
- Spanish (AB)
- Studio Arts (AB)
- Theater (AB)
- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (AB)
Source: Colgate 2026-2027 University Catalog, 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 1 | Mid-December | Yes |
| Early Decision II | January 15 | Mid-February | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | Late March | No |
Financial aid forms are due on the application date in each round. Mid-year grades are due February 15. The application fee is $60, and Colgate waives it for all first-year applicants during October.
Source: Colgate Admission, Apply to Colgate (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision I and II are both binding: if admitted, you agree to withdraw all other applications and attend Colgate. You, a parent or guardian and your guidance counselor sign the Early Decision Agreement.
Source: Colgate Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Sending SAT or ACT scores is optional, and students who do not send them are at no disadvantage. You say on the application whether you want scores considered, and you may self-report them. Colgate superscores both the SAT and the ACT; admitted students who had scores considered then send official scores.
Source: Colgate Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted, with scores due by January 15.
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Colgate'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: Colgate Admission, Apply to Colgate (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Colgate, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $73,206 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $440 |
| Food and housing (on campus, first year) | $18,446 |
| Books and supplies | $1,570 |
| Transportation | $800 |
| Other expenses | $1,148 |
| Total | $95,610 |
For a first-year student living on campus. Food and housing is $19,192 for other undergraduates.
Source: Colgate Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $6,086 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,678 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,617 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $21,831 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,234 |
| All incomes | $28,786 |
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 Colgate'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 Colgate University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · Private20.9% admitted$39,343 average net price
Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY · Private13.6% admitted$28,985 average net price
Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY · Private23.8% admitted$32,297 average net price
Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT · Private16.4% admitted$30,177 average net price
University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · Private17.6% admitted$37,244 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.