Colby College vs. Dartmouth

Should I go to Colby College or Dartmouth College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colby College or Dartmouth is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Colby College vs. Dartmouth College comparison
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Overview

Colby College Dartmouth
Location Waterville, ME Hanover, NH
Setting Remote Town Remote Town
Enrollment 2,299 6,744
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #44 #12
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website colby.edu dartmouth.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Colby College Dartmouth
Tuition (In State) $60,840 $60,687
Tuition (Out of State) $60,840 $60,687
Room & Board $16,330 $18,099
Avg Net Price $16,951 $19,208
Avg Grant Aid $61,714 $62,293
% Receiving Grant Aid 41% 45%

Admission

Colby College Dartmouth
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,890 28,336
Admitted 1,286 1,808
Acceptance Rate 7.6% 6.4%
Enrolled % 52.3% 62.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 33/35
SAT Range 1430/1540 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2025 Jan 3, 2025

Academics

Colby College Dartmouth
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Physical Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Ethnic Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Colby College Dartmouth
Graduation Rate 91% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,400 $104,000
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,345 $13,461
Median Loan Payment $200 $139

Diversity

Colby College Dartmouth
% Men 48% 50%
% Women 52% 50%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 49%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 11% 8%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

Colby College Dartmouth
% In-State 7% 2%
% Out-of-State 79% 79%

Campus

Colby College Dartmouth
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Dartmouth College is larger than than Colby College based on total student enrollment (6,744 students vs. 2,299 students)

Colby College vs. Dartmouth Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colby College or Dartmouth?

  • Colby College is 0.3% more expensive to attend than Dartmouth for in-state tuition ($60,840.00 vs. $60,687.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.3% higher at Colby College than Dartmouth College ($60,840.00 vs. $60,687.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colby College than Dartmouth ($16,951 vs. $19,208)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Colby College are 10.8% lower than costs at Dartmouth College ($16,330 vs. $18,099)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dartmouth College than Colby College (45% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dartmouth College students is 0.9% larger than aid received Colby College ($62,293 vs. $61,714)

Colby College vs. Dartmouth Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colby College or Dartmouth? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Dartmouth or Colby College .

  • The average SAT score at Dartmouth College (1437) is 74 points higher than at Colby College (1363)
  • Incoming Dartmouth students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Colby College (31)
  • Accepted freshman Dartmouth students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Colby College (3.86)
  • Colby College has a higher acceptance rate (7.6%) than Dartmouth (6.4%)

Colby College vs. Dartmouth Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colby College or Dartmouth? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Dartmouth and Colby College.

  • The graduation rate at Dartmouth is higher than Colby College (95% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Dartmouth College earn on average $30,600 more per year than Colby College graduates after ten years. ($104,000 vs. $73,400)
  • Dartmouth College students graduate with a $5,884 lower median federal student loan debt than Colby College graduates. ($13,461 vs. $19,345)
  • Dartmouth graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Colby College graduates. ($139 vs. $200)
  • More Colby College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dartmouth students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/