Founded in 1813, Colby is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the U.S. and prides itself on the opportunities it provides for undergraduate research.
On campus, Colby's roughly 2,300 undergraduates praise the close relationships they're able to form with professors, some of whom even invite students over for home-cooked dinners. Academically, the top fields of study include economics, natural resources conservation and research, and political science.
Although Colby has a high sticker price — its total cost of attendance is about $87,000 per year — students from low- and middle-income families pay a fraction of that. Colby also scores well in several outcome measures in Money’s analysis. The median early-career earnings after students leave Colby, for example, are over $80,000, higher than that of comparable schools.
The campus has an idyllic, New England feel, with an on-campus arboretum and nature trails. But its location in central Maine is a bit off the beaten path, with the nearest large city, Portland, some 90 minutes to the south.
