Colby College

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Quick Stats

4000 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8840: [map]

Phone: (207) 859-4000

2011-2012 Tuition

$53,800: comprehensive fee

Students

1,825: enrolled

46%: male /

54%: female

Admissions

Jan. 1: application deadline

34.2%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#21	National Liberal Arts Colleges

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Summary

Colby College is a private institution that was founded in 1813. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,825, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 714 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Colby College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 21. Its comprehensive cost is $53,800 (2011-12).

Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine. Colby’s campus, home to the 128-acre Perkins Arboretum wildlife refuge, is a State Wildlife Management Area. The school also owns a nearby bog preserve and lakefront property for environmental studies. There are approximately 100 student-run clubs and organizations on campus, ranging from the Colby Ballroom Dance Club to the Society Organized Against Racism. More than one-third of students are members of Colby’s intercollegiate varsity sports teams, the Mules. Intramural and club sports are also popular. The majority of students at Colby live on campus in one of the 25 co-ed, mixed-class residence halls.

Colby has more than 50 majors across its 30 or so academic departments. The most popular majors are biology, economics, English, history, international studies, government, and mathematics. Colby’s 4-1-4 academic features the Jan Plan, a four-week term during which students can pursue an internship, independent study, or focused course work. Past Jan Plan projects have included a Maine Jewish History research project and an internship at Sotheby’s in New York. More than two-thirds of students study abroad, and Colby runs its own programs in Dijon, France; Salamanca, Spain; and St. Petersburg, Russia. Notable alumni include TV personality Billy Bush and senior advisor to President Obama Pete Rouse.

School mission (as provided by the school):

A Colby education is distinctly inspired. Combining world-class academic programs with an active campus life, Colby offers students leadership and volunteer experiences and rich opportunities after graduation. Students work closely with professors exploring new ideas, stretching to expand their knowledge and perceptions of the world: this is the core of a Colby education. Faculty members, world-class teachers and scholars committed to liberal arts education, challenge students in a collaborative learning experience that is transformational for both. Learning isn't confined to classrooms at Colby. Activities outside of class are an essential part of students' intellectual, personal, and creative growth, and civic engagement fosters a shared commitment to community service. With more than 100 student organizations, numerous leadership opportunities, and an active, civic-minded community, Colby students learn to embrace opportunities, to see connections in disparate lines of thought, and to regard education as a civic resource as well as a personal achievement. Colby is international in its outlook, in its student body and faculty, in its curriculum, in its extraordinary study-abroad opportunities, and in the impact of its graduates. Students develop a mature curiosity about other cultures and an appetite for engaged global citizenship. Colby is set in Maine, which offers natural beauty, a spirit of independence, a rich tradition of creative endeavor, and unique access to government, nonprofit, and business institutions. Maine's people have welcomed Colby students into their communities for almost two centuries, and Colby students respond, through volunteerism, civic engagement, and a lifelong affinity for Maine. Colby's pioneering commitment to environmental studies and its location in Maine contribute to its recognized leadership in academic environmental program and in embracing sustainable practices on campus. Colby is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2015.

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1813
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	4-1-4
Setting	urban
2010 Endowment	$502,076,000

Applying

When applying to Colby College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due March 1. The application fee at Colby College is $65. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 34.2 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	34%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	March 1

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Colby College is 10:1, and the school has 65.0 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Colby College include: Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Physical Sciences; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 94.8 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

10:1

4-year graduation rate

86% - High

Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates

Social Sciences	31%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences	15%
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	12%
Physical Sciences	8%
Psychology	8%

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Student Life

Colby College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,825, with a gender distribution of 46.0 percent male students and 54.0 percent female students. 93.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 7.0 percent of students live off campus. Colby College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at Colby College.

Total enrollment	1,825
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity

Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority

Collegiate athletic association	NCAA III

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Campus Info & Services

Colby College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Colby College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Colby College, 70 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Colby College.

Students who have cars on campus	70% - Medium
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At Colby College, 41.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $32,609.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Comprehensive fee	$53,800 (2011-12)
Room and board	N/A
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

Size is just right - all the better to really get to know your peers AND your professors. If I could change one thing - I'd move Colby to CA or LA (minus the hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) No, seriously, Waterville could use a facelift - start up some sort of cafe culture, have more host families from within the community (who have no direct connection to Colby), etc. I spend most of my time in either of my academic major buildings - Diamond Lab or the Mudd seminar room! Colby's administration can be a bit hasty with decisions, but you can't blame them for not trying. On the whole, quite supportive and willing to incorporate students' opinions. Can aim for better transparency, particularly regarding budget allocation and spending which affects clubs and on-campus programming. On the downside, majority of students don't have a lot of faith in the admin and criticism is rampant. Must work on image and perception. School pride - depends on the athletic season and/or how Bowdoin and Bates are faring! Unusual - oh yes! People are very friendly. And if you look carefully enough and take the time to get to know everyone, this is an EXTREMELY diverse population, and not just for the no. of nationalities represented.

Joerose Senior

After you've told the 986784th person that you go to Colby College, your brain engages auto-pilot to field one of the following two responses: The Blank Stare, followed by a half-embarassed "Now where is that again?" or "Thats in Maine right? You must be cold up there" To disambiguate now, in attempt to eliminate any further confusion: yes, it's ***ing cold up here, deal with it. I spend the majority of my time, during tundra season, in "The Street," the corridor below Miller Library, the iconic building at Colby. No the street isn't nerdy, it's just where most people hang out because our new student center has proven to be such a colossal failure. There is no draw to Pulver Pavillion, affectionately known as The Train Station or That Uncomfortable Excuse for a Student Center. Unfortunately it is true. But, there have been a number of people consciously trying to make it a better place and it's happening, slowly. By the next year, it should be infinitely better than it currently is with plans to bring in more comfortable seating, area rugs, non-industrial lighting, and whole host of student art. That seems to be emblematic of my experience with Colby as a whole: We are new. A new academic respect and recognition, new buildings and building projects, and a new image. Pursuant to this newness, a few things have become apparent: I think in part to cope with our underwhelming "name power," unlike a Williams or an Amherst, our administration has sought to micromanage every outwardly visible aspect of our college, most blatantly, our website. A visit to the "Prospective Students" area of Colby.edu offers more daily information about our school than 99% of the rest of our campus. The Result: Students feel left in the dark. The level of communication amongst students, the administration, and student organizations is non-existent. Our campus is GORGEOUS, but also very large and the amount of sheer footage coupled with our ivory tower administration has left the majority of students feeling isolated and unheard.

Justin Freshman

The best thing about Colby is the fact that majority of the Colby faculty are welcoming, they invite you over for dinner, assist you academically when you don't understand certain material, and as well serve as a support system such that they listen to what you have to say in regards to social life on campus. One thing I would change is the drinking on campus as well as the few cases of racism and discrimination on campus, I would like to see more diversity such that we have urban students attending Colby and not just suburban students. Another thing I would change is the non-Halal food non-Kosher food option not being available in the dinning halls, because such food are not available many students have to buy groceries on top of paying for a meal plan because many days all the dinning halls serve is pork.

Aqsa Sophomore

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* Overview details based on 2010 data

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Summary

General Information

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