Colgate University vs Elon University

Colgate University and Elon University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Colgate, nestled in the picturesque town of Hamilton, New York, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Elon, located in the vibrant town of Elon, North Carolina, offers a more diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate, providing a welcoming environment for students from all backgrounds. While Colgate emphasizes liberal arts education with popular majors in social sciences and humanities, Elon offers a broader range of academic programs, including strong offerings in business, communications, and education. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, preparing their students for successful careers or further education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Colgate University	Elon University
Overview
Location	Hamilton, New York	Elon, North Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.2%	77.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1350 - 1500	N/A
ACT range	32 - 34	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%
Total number of applicants	17,540	17,834
Total number of admissions given out	3,015	13,859
Admitted students who chose to enroll	887	1,591
Yield rate	29.4%	11.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,160	$55,647
Average net price	$24,500	$40,366
Tuition	$61,594	$38,218
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,496 Meal plan: $8,028	Room/dormitory: $6,593 Meal plan: $6,829
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	41.0% Average amount $53,718	67.0% Average amount $13,677
Students receiving federal student loan	11.0% Average amount $4,253	30.0% Average amount $5,259
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $34,492	7.0% Average amount $25,192

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,164 Men 45.0% Women 55.0%	6,302 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	12 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	825 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	75.2%	80.6%
International students	8.8%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,972	4,192
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Connecticut California Pennsylvania	North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Ethnic Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Business Legal Profession Health Professions Communication and Journalism Education
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	90.3%	83.3%
Dropout rate	2.8%	16.7%
Transferred out	6.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,196 Year 2: $67,995 Year 3: $86,742 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $67,401 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,813 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $60,399 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,179 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $57,947 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,895 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $51,701 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $50,739 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,610 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $43,419 Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,641 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $40,037 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,181 Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $21,648 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: N/A	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,556 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $105,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,803 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $78,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,320 Year 2: $60,016 Year 3: $77,567 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,276 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $77,220 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,564 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $76,604 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,888 Year 2: $69,629 Year 3: $70,208 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,091 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $64,255 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $59,817 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,293 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $58,053 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,055 Year 3: $55,617

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.

Colgate University

Colorado College