Haverford College vs Colby College

Haverford College and Colby College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Haverford, located just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, boasts a lower acceptance rate (12%) and a smaller student body (1,300 undergraduates) compared to Colby's 18% acceptance rate and 2,000 undergraduates in Waterville, Maine. While Haverford students pursue majors in the social sciences and humanities, Colby students excel in the natural sciences and social sciences. Haverford's diverse student body comprises 48% students of color, while Colby's student body is 16% students of color. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Haverford at 94% and Colby at 92%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Colby College logo

Colby College

Haverford College logo

Haverford College

Overview

Location Waterville, Maine Haverford, Pennsylvania
Campus setting Town: Remote Suburb: Large
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
Students retention rate 95.0% 94.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.9% 17.8%
Application fees $65
SAT range 1400 - 1530 1420 - 1540
ACT range 32 - 34 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 38.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0% 21.0%
Total number of applicants 15,857 5,332
Total number of admissions given out 1,407 951
Admitted students who chose to enroll 667 411
Yield rate 47.4% 43.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required 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 $81,570
Average net price $17,912 $24,462
Tuition $58,640 $60,442
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
Room/dormitory: $10,320

Meal plan: $6,980
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $58,513
45.0%
Average amount $53,518
Students receiving federal student loan 8.0%
Average amount $5,140
15.0%
Average amount $4,885
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $18,242
3.0%
Average amount $26,584

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
1,420
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 9.5% 10.6%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,242 1,424
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
  • Social Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.6% 90.1%
Dropout rate 5.7% 2.9%
Transferred out 7.5% 6.4%
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
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,410
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,952
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,876
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,162
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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