Colby College vs St. John's College

Colby College and St. John's College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Colby, located in Waterville, Maine, boasts a higher acceptance rate (13.5%) compared to St. John's in Annapolis, Maryland (10.5%). While Colby's student body is more diverse, with 48% female and 52% male students, St. John's has a more balanced gender ratio, with 49% female and 51% male students. Both colleges offer a range of popular majors, including English, Economics, and Biology, but Colby has a slightly higher graduation rate (89%) than St. John's (86%). Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Colby College logo

Colby College

St. John's College logo

St. John's College

Overview

Location Waterville, Maine Santa Fe, New Mexico
Campus setting Town: Remote Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 72.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.9% 62.7%
Application fees
SAT range 1400 - 1530 1280 - 1470
ACT range 32 - 34 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 23.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0% 7.0%
Total number of applicants 15,857 456
Total number of admissions given out 1,407 286
Admitted students who chose to enroll 667 119
Yield rate 47.4% 41.6%
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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $68,825 $51,688
Average net price $17,912 $25,628
Tuition $58,640 $35,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
Room/dormitory: $7,446

Meal plan: $6,832
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $58,513
81.0%
Average amount $21,782
Students receiving federal student loan 8.0%
Average amount $5,140
52.0%
Average amount $4,431
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $18,242
2.0%
Average amount $26,797

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
368
Men 51.1% Women 48.9%
Graduate students N/A 81
Men 61.7% Women 38.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 9.5% 14.0%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,242 375
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Liberal Arts
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.6% 71.6%
Dropout rate 5.7% 9.5%
Transferred out 7.5% 17.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,522
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $21,349
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,832
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A