Barnard College vs Colby College

Barnard College and Colby College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Barnard, located in the heart of New York City, boasts an acceptance rate of 12%, while Colby, nestled in the picturesque town of Waterville, Maine, has an acceptance rate of 15%. Barnard's student body is predominantly female, with a diverse mix of ethnicities and backgrounds, while Colby's student body is more evenly split between men and women and has a slightly higher percentage of international students. Both colleges offer a wide range of popular majors, with Barnard excelling in fields like psychology, economics, and English, and Colby excelling in government, biology, and economics. With graduation rates of 90% and 89% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for successful careers or further education. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Barnard College logo

Barnard College

Colby College logo

Colby College

Overview

Location New York, New York Waterville, Maine
Campus setting City: Large Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 11.5% 8.9%
Application fees $75
SAT range 1425 - 1550 1400 - 1530
ACT range 32 - 34 32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 30.0% 40.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 28.0%
Total number of applicants 10,395 15,857
Total number of admissions given out 1,192 1,407
Admitted students who chose to enroll 769 667
Yield rate 64.5% 47.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,693 $68,825
Average net price $28,366 $17,912
Tuition $57,734 $58,640
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,206

Meal plan: $7,280
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

36.0%
Average amount $44,482
39.0%
Average amount $58,513
Students receiving federal student loan 32.0%
Average amount $1,946
8.0%
Average amount $5,140
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $13,974
1.0%
Average amount $18,242

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,043
Men 0.3% Women 99.7%
2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 70.3% N/A
International students 12.6% 9.5%
Campus local/setting City: Large Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 2,411 2,242
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Mississippi Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 86.6%
Dropout rate 2.7% 5.7%
Transferred out 4.3% 7.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,217
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $87,791
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,807
  • Year 2: $47,846
  • Year 3: $67,484
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,701
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $60,852
Urban Studies/Affairs (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,271
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $55,821
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,646
  • Year 3: $53,521
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $52,302
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,848
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,891
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,983
  • Year 2: $39,648
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,340
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,675
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,540
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $83,980
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,972
  • Year 2: $47,118
  • Year 3: $55,529
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,350
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $53,638
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,883
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,156
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,423
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,612
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • Year 3: N/A

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