1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Colby College](/school/colby-college/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Colby College Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/colby-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/colby-college/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/colby-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/colby-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/colby-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Colby College graduates earn? The reported median is $77,429 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $9,179 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,429. That figure sits at the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median is $9,179 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar at the 90th percentile. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $48,903 on the downside to $103,081 on the upside, with the typical scenario at $77,429. At the top of the range, Economics graduates earn $103,491 four years after completion, from 89 degrees awarded a year. Political Science follows at $96,621, with 76 degrees awarded. The lower end includes Natural Resources Conservation and Research, where graduates earn $55,719. An estimated 40.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $77,429 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Colby College reported median** $77,429 **Peer schools comparable schools · $9,179 below Colby College** $68,250 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $48,903 to $103,081, around the reported median of $77,429. Compare the lower scenario with [Colby College borrowing and monthly payments](/school/colby-college/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $48,903 **Median · reported** $77,429 **Higher estimate** $103,081 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Colby College graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). That comparison is not reported for Colby College. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Colby College caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Colby College report the highest earnings? 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. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 3 of the college's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The strongest of these is Political Science, which holds a national rank of #5 and is the top program in Maine. The largest program is Economics, with 89 degrees awarded. Its graduates earn a median of $103,491 four years after completion, placing it #44 nationally. Political Science is close behind in size at 76 degrees awarded, and its completers earn $96,621. The highest-earning program is also Economics, at $103,491. Area Studies and Natural Resources Conservation and Research round out the programs with earnings data, with medians of $64,207 and $55,719 respectively. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Economics** $103,491 **Political Science and Government** $96,621 **Area Studies** $64,207 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research** $55,719 [Explore Colby College program cohorts and field ranks](/school/colby-college/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $48,903 to a typical outcome of $77,429 and an upside of $103,081. The spread is wide, and the program-level data shows why: Economics, the highest-earning program, reaches $103,491, while Natural Resources Conservation and Research sits at $55,719 among the largest programs. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,429. That figure sits $9,179 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions. This places the college in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort for this measure is 210 completers. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical figure of $77,429, with a downside scenario of $48,903 and an upside scenario of $103,081. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. An estimated 40.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## 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/).