by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Colby College, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
What it costs to attend Colby College is about $81,550.00 annually.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $69,600.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,950.00 |
| Total cost | $81,550.00 |
| That is 149% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $81,550.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$68,240.00 |
| Net price | $13,310.00 |
| That is 59% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $81,550.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$81,371.00 |
| Net price | $179.00 |
| That is 99% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years at a recent average of 4.4% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Freshman year | $187.00 | $13,892.00 | $85,114.00 |
| Senior year | $212.00 | $15,794.00 | $96,767.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $798.00 | $59,316.00 | $363,430.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $304.00 | $22,597.00 | $138,454.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $9.00 | $683.00 | $4,182.00 |
| Total amount paid | $1,102.00 | $81,914.00 | $501,884.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Freshman year | $187.00 | $13,892.00 | $85,114.00 |
| Senior year | $195.00 | $14,499.00 | $88,833.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $382.00 | $28,390.00 | $173,947.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $145.00 | $10,816.00 | $66,268.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $4.00 | $327.00 | $2,002.00 |
| Total amount paid | $527.00 | $39,206.00 | $240,215.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net-price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $17,180.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $23,939.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $6,072.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $1,331.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $2,247.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,937.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $52,893.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Colby College Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at Colby College is $15,000.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,500.00 |
| 25th | $8,790.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,000.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $27,495.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $4,525.00 |
| Middle income | $12,210.00 |
| High income | $19,313.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,689.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,750.00 |
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of Colby College works out to $-6,050.00.
The default-rate category at Colby College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 1.5% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Colby College amount to $26,718,964.00 over 2,167 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 6 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $5,186.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veteran aid breakdown.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Colby College, keep these questions in mind:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.