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 logo

Colby College

Cornell College logo

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%
Common app member 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
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

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
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies
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)
  • Year 1: $58,540
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $83,980
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,972
  • Year 2: $47,118
  • Year 3: $55,529
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,350
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $53,638
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,883
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,156
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,423
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,612
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,721
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $40,862
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,040
  • Year 2: $24,035
  • Year 3: $38,658
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,951
  • Year 2: $23,340
  • Year 3: N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,103
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,478
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,731
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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