Colby College Acceptance Rate
Waterville, Maine · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 17,786
- Admitted
- 1,215
- Yield
- 49.8%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Colby College's acceptance rate has fallen from 28% in 2014–15 to 6.8% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 5,148 to 17,786 (+245%) over that period.
Its 6.8% rate makes Colby College more selective than about 99% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 15 tracked Maine schools, it is more selective than about 93%.
Colby College has been test-optional since 2018–19. Of admitted students, 49.8% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 5,148 | 1,444 | 28% | 480 |
| 2015–16 | 7,593 | 1,710 | 22.5% | 508 |
| 2016–17 | 9,833 | 1,840 | 18.7% | 510 |
| 2017–18 | 11,190 | 1,767 | 15.8% | 552 |
| 2018–19 | 12,313 | 1,608 | 13.1% | 580 |
| 2019–20 | 13,584 | 1,314 | 9.7% | 522 |
| 2020–21 | 13,922 | 1,430 | 10.3% | 566 |
| 2021–22 | 15,857 | 1,407 | 8.9% | 667 |
| 2022–23 | 16,890 | 1,286 | 7.6% | 673 |
| 2023–24 | 17,786 | 1,215 | 6.8% | 605 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 9,307 | 624 | 6.7% |
| Men | 8,479 | 591 | 7% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | % submitting |
|---|---|---|
| SAT EBRW | 710–760 | 36% |
| SAT Math | 730–790 | |
| ACT Composite | 32–34 | 18% |
How Colby College compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Colby College's acceptance rate?
Colby College's acceptance rate is 6.8% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (1,215 admitted of 17,786 applicants).
Is Colby College test optional?
Colby College is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Colby College?
Colby College received 17,786 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 1,215.
What SAT score do you need for Colby College?
Admitted students at Colby College typically scored 710–760 on SAT Reading/Writing and 730–790 on SAT Math (middle-50% ranges).
Is Colby College getting harder to get into?
Colby College has become harder to get into: its acceptance rate went from 28% in 2014–15 to 6.8% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.colby.edu/.