Location
- Colby College
- Waterville, ME
- Cornell University
- Ithaca, NY
Colby College vs Cornell University
Waterville, ME · Ithaca, NY · largest Scorecard gap: avg net price
Scorecard match plate
Pair ME:NY
PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-NET
- PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
- CROSS-STATE ME × NY
- ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
- GAP-NET Largest gap · Avg Net Price
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · single · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Both enrollments grew, different paces
ENROLL-RACE · single · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both Colby College and Cornell University across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.
- Colby College: enrollment grew +25.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +54 students/yr fitted, r² 0.93.
- Cornell University: enrollment grew +11.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +168 students/yr fitted, r² 0.87.
- Colby College: acceptance rate tightened -73.8% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.92).
- Cornell University: acceptance rate tightened -47.6% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.94).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
- Colby College
- 2,407
- Cornell University
- 15,995
Avg Net Price
- Colby College
- $17,180
- Cornell University
- $28,690
Median Earnings (6 yr)
- Colby College
- $60,052
- Cornell University
- $87,830
Median Debt at Graduation
- Colby College
- $19,157
- Cornell University
- $14,000
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- Colby College
- $80,490
- Cornell University
- $104,043
Acceptance Rate
- Colby College
- 7.1%
- Cornell University
- 8.8%
150%-Time Completion
- Colby College
- 89.5%
- Cornell University
- 95.3%
Retention Rate
- Colby College
- 93.7%
- Cornell University
- 98.4%
SAT Average
- Colby College
- 1,501
- Cornell University
- 1,535
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | Colby College Waterville, ME | Cornell University Ithaca, NY |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Waterville, ME | Ithaca, NY |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 2,407 | 15,995 |
| Avg Net Price | $17,180 | $28,690 |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $60,052 | $87,830 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $19,157 | $14,000 |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $80,490 | $104,043 |
| Acceptance Rate | 7.1% | 8.8% |
| 150%-Time Completion | 89.5% | 95.3% |
| Retention Rate | 93.7% | 98.4% |
| SAT Average | 1,501 | 1,535 |
Largest gaps: Colby College vs Cornell University
- AVG-NET-PRICE Colby College leads on avg net price ($17,180 vs $28,690 at Cornell University)
- MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(6 Cornell University leads on median earnings (6 yr) ($87,830 vs $60,052 at Colby College)
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Cornell University leads on median debt at graduation ($14,000 vs $19,157 at Colby College)
Colby College profile · Cornell University profile · Compare other colleges
Also on the Scorecard board
Avg Net Price and other Scorecard questions
On avg net price, who leads between Colby College and Cornell University?▼
Colby College leads on avg net price at $17,180 versus $28,690 at Cornell University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (6 yr), who leads between Colby College and Cornell University?▼
Cornell University leads on median earnings (6 yr) at $87,830 versus $60,052 at Colby College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Colby College and Cornell University?▼
Cornell University leads on median debt at graduation at $14,000 versus $19,157 at Colby College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); avg net price focus for this pair · 2025