Colgate University

Colgate University publishes a cost of attendance of $87,070 (an average across living arrangements). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported on-campus food and housing of $18,446 and required fees of $440 for that year.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $28,786. That is $1,415 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Financial aid reduces the published cost by $58,284 on average. Azimuth ranks the university #1,017 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 28th percentile.

The published cost of attendance at Colgate University is $87,070 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,017 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $6,086, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $13,617, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $48,234. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,148.

Aid covers about 67% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, reducing the sticker price by an average of $58,284. The average net price across all aid recipients is $28,786, which is $1,415 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $15,000 in federal student loans, $9,199 below the $24,199 peer median. 84.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $59,463 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month.

It estimates a personalized net price and payment scenario, including Parent PLUS borrowing, based on your own finances.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,917. That is $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings alone sit in the 86th percentile nationally.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Colgate University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,917, which places them in the 86th percentile. That figure is $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), drawn from an earnings cohort of 380 completers.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $53,384 to an upside of $130,426, with a typical scenario of $77,917. These are estimates, not observed percentiles.

An estimated 42.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Four years after graduating, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,917, at the 86th. That places the university $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks Colgate University #155 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix includes degrees in fields such as Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Psychology.

The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $53,384 on the downside to $130,426 on the upside. An estimated 42.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $53,384 on the downside to $130,426 on the upside. At the higher end, Computer Science graduates earn $161,980 four years after completion, from 49 degrees awarded a year.

Economics follows at $128,887, with 143 degrees awarded. Political Science graduates earn $83,188, from 87 degrees awarded.

Graduates of Colgate University leave with a median of $15,000 in federal student loans, which is $9,199 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month.

The published cost of attendance is $87,070 (an average across living arrangements). After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay an average net price of $28,786, which is $1,415 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $59,463 in Parent PLUS loans.

Colgate University admits 13.9% of applicants, well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 17,310 first-year applicants, 3,030 admitted students, and 805 who enrolled.

The highest-earning program at Colgate University is Computer Science, where graduates earn a median of $161,980 four years after completion, with 49 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #24 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

The largest program, Economics, awards 143 degrees a year and posts a median of $128,887. That places it #17 nationally.

International Relations and National Security Studies graduates earn $77,199 from 47 degrees awarded. Natural Resources Conservation and Research is smaller still, at 37 degrees a year and $70,760, though Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally and #1 in New York within its field.

The Social Sciences family accounts for 35.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Biological Sciences next at 11.0%. Azimuth ranks 7 of the university's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The largest program is Economics, at 143 degrees awarded and median earnings of $128,887 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #17 within its field.

The highest-earning program is Computer Science, with 49 degrees awarded, median earnings of $161,980 and a national rank of #24 in its field. Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics holds the strongest national rank at #6, with 26 degrees awarded and earnings of $81,802.