1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Colby College](/school/colby-college/) 4. / 5. Programs & majors brief Programs & majors brief Copy linkPrint brief # Colby College Majors & Programs Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/colby-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/colby-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/colby-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/colby-college/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/colby-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## Which majors earn the most at Colby College? The strongest return at Colby College comes from programs that are also among its largest. Economics awards 89 degrees a year, and graduates earn a median of $103,491 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #44 nationally in its field. Political Science is close behind, with 76 degrees awarded and median earnings of $96,621. Its national rank of #5 is the highest of any program at the college. Further down the earnings scale, Natural Resources Conservation and Research awards 52 degrees and posts a median of $55,719. Azimuth ranks it #35 nationally. The spread between this program and the top earners illustrates the variation by field. ### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity. - Social sciences**188 · 26.2%** - Biological sciences**78 · 10.9%** - Interdisciplinary studies**58 · 8.1%** - Psychology**54 · 7.5%** - Natural resources**52 · 7.3%** - Other**287 · 40.0%** Find a field Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name 30 of 30 programs shown Four-year earnings · first four matching programs **Economics 89 degrees awarded** $103,491 **Political Science and Government 76 degrees awarded** $96,621 **Area Studies 14 degrees awarded** $64,207 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research 52 degrees awarded** $55,719 Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample. Compare all matching programs Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks | Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Economics | 89 | $103,491 | #44 | | Political Science and Government | 76 | $96,621 | #5 | | Area Studies small degree count | 14 | $64,207 | — | | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 52 | $55,719 | #35 | | Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Computer Science | 45 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Education, General small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 25 | Too few graduates to report | — | | English Language and Literature, General small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Biology, General | 38 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Mathematics | 23 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Statistics small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — | | International/Globalization Studies | 42 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Science, Technology and Society small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Classical and Ancient Studies small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Philosophy small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Physics | 24 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Chemistry small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Psychology, General | 41 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Research and Experimental Psychology small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Anthropology small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Sociology small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Music small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | History | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — | [Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) ## What are the largest programs at Colby College? Ten largest programs by degrees awarded **Economics** 89 **Political Science and Government** 76 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research** 52 **Computer Science** 45 **International/Globalization Studies** 42 **Psychology, General** 41 **Biology, General** 38 **Neurobiology and Neurosciences** 27 **History** 27 **Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics** 25 Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources) ## How do Colby College majors rank nationally? ### National program rankings 1. Political Science and Government**#5** 2. Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#35** 3. Economics**#44** Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) ## Further analysis The earnings picture for graduates of Colby College differs markedly by program. 4 programs publish four-year earnings data, and 3 of them carry an Azimuth national rank. Azimuth weighs debt and cohort size alongside four-year earnings among federally aided completers to set those ranks; reputation plays no part. Social Sciences accounts for 26.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Biological Sciences at 10.9% and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 8.1%. Political Science ranks #5 nationally, with graduates earning $96,621. Economics is the largest program at 89 degrees awarded and ranks #44 nationally, with median earnings of $103,491. Natural Resources Conservation and Research ranks #35 nationally, with median earnings of $55,719. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).