Cornell College vs Colby College
Cornell College and Colby College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Cornell, nestled in the charming town of Mount Vernon, Iowa, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention. Its acceptance rate of 84% reflects its commitment to accessibility. Colby, located in the vibrant city of Waterville, Maine, is known for its rigorous academics and stunning campus. With an acceptance rate of 14%, it attracts a highly competitive applicant pool. While Cornell's popular majors include biology, business, and psychology, Colby's strengths lie in government, economics, and English. Cornell's student body is predominantly White (79%), while Colby's is more diverse, with 68% White, 10% Asian, and 7% Hispanic students. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Cornell at 79% and Colby at 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these exceptional institutions and make an
|
![]() Colby College |
![]() Cornell College |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Waterville, Maine | Mount Vernon, Iowa |
Campus setting | Town: Remote | Town: 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% | 78.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | |
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 8.9% | 81.1% |
Application fees | $30 | |
SAT range | 1400 - 1530 | 1155 - 1405 |
ACT range | 32 - 34 | 24 - 30 |
Students submitting SAT score | 40.0% | 28.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 28.0% | 58.0% |
Total number of applicants | 15,857 | 2,836 |
Total number of admissions given out | 1,407 | 2,300 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 667 | 366 |
Yield rate | 47.4% | 15.9% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Not required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Not required | Not required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price | $68,825 | $62,735 |
Average net price | $17,912 | $22,667 |
Tuition | $58,640 | $47,100 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$8,150
Meal plan:
$7,595
|
Room/dormitory:
$4,868
Meal plan:
$5,688
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
39.0%
Average amount $58,513 |
100.0%
Average amount $37,745 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
8.0%
Average amount $5,140 |
57.0%
Average amount $5,607 |
Students taking out private loans |
1.0%
Average amount $18,242 |
16.0%
Average amount $9,357 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9% |
1,046
Men 52.5% Women 47.5% |
Graduate students | N/A |
9
Men 33.3% Women 66.7% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Low
|
Out-of-state students | N/A | N/A |
International students | 9.5% | 3.0% |
Campus local/setting | Town: Remote | Town: Fringe |
Dormitory capacity | 2,242 | 1,060 |
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 |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 10:1 | 12:1 |
Institutional accreditation | New England Commission on Higher Education | Higher Learning Commission |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 86.6% | 63.8% |
Dropout rate | 5.7% | 10.9% |
Transferred out | 7.5% | 25.4% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.




















































































































































































































