1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Colgate University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Colgate University NY · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #403 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/colgate-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/colgate-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/colgate-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/colgate-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/colgate-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Colgate University #403 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Colgate University is a private nonprofit university in Hamilton, New York, where the largest share of degrees is in Social Sciences. Return is well above average, and graduates earn above the median at comparable schools. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The largest programs are not the best-paid ones: Economics and Political Science lead in degrees awarded, while Computer Science graduates report the highest earnings. The price case turns on income: the lowest band pays a fraction of the published cost, while the highest band pays much more. Pell students complete below the overall rate. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable schools. Affordability is modestly below average, and a student weighing the cost should look closely at where their family falls in the income bands. ## Colgate University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 13.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 91.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $77,917 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $13,617 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $15,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $59,463 ## Colgate University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Colgate University is a private nonprofit university in Hamilton, New York, enrolling 3,180 undergraduates. The composite standing sits in the top third among nonprofit four-year institutions (73rd percentile). The university admits 13.9% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% at comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 93.4% return for a second year, well above the peer median (median at comparable institutions) of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 91.2%, against a peer median of 68.8%. That figure describes the first-time, full-time cohort. An estimated 2.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the completion picture for the full student body is broader than the federal rate alone captures. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest pillar (89th percentile), while affordability is the weakest (28th percentile). Access and mobility sit in the middle, at the 59th and 56th percentiles respectively. The university's strongest pillar is return, at the 89th percentile, while affordability is the weakest, at the 28th percentile. Access sits at the 59th percentile and mobility at the 56th percentile. The spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide, so the overall picture depends heavily on which dimension a reader weighs most. The Pell share at Colgate University is 12.5%. That figure measures financial access among undergraduates, not household poverty. Azimuth ranks Colgate University #602 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients finish at 84.0%, a gap of 7.2 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (91.2%). That spread separates the Pell completion rate from the overall six-year cohort rate. Azimuth ranks Colgate University #643 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Colgate University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #403 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 56 **Access & reach** National percentile: 59 **[Affordability](/school/colgate-university/cost/)** National percentile: 28 **[Return on investment](/school/colgate-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 89 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#6** 2. Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#9** 3. Economics**#17** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/colgate-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Colgate University briefing ## [Colgate University cost & financial aid](/school/colgate-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$13,617** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Colgate University At Colgate University, borrowers who finish carry a median of $15,000 in federal loans. 84.9% of federal aid recipients take them. That median is $9,199 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers hold a separate median of $59,463. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 21% of graduates borrowed from any source. The average cumulative debt per borrower was $21,643. Among all graduates, 18% held federal loans averaging $11,410, including some who also held private loans. Among all graduates, 4% held private loans averaging $67,768, including some who also borrowed federally. Four years after completion, graduates of Colgate University earn a median of $77,917, placing the university at the 86th percentile nationally. That figure is $9,667 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range. The typical earnings scenario is $77,917, with a downside of $53,384 and an upside of $130,426. On the debt side, the median federal student debt at completion is $15,000, which is $9,199 below the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. The return picture is strong: earnings sit well above the peer median, and the debt load is low by comparison. Azimuth ranks the university #155 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $59,463. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $15,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $59,463 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $170/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $756/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=colgate-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/colgate-university/cost/) 02 / Colgate University briefing ## [Colgate University career outcomes & earnings](/school/colgate-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/colgate-university/outcomes/) 03 / Colgate University briefing ## [Colgate University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/colgate-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) 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. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 13.9% **25th percentile** 1450 **Median** 1480 **75th percentile** 1510 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/colgate-university/admissions/) 04 / Colgate University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Colgate University?](/school/colgate-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 143 degrees awarded** $128,887 **Political Science and Government 87 degrees awarded** $83,188 **Research and Experimental Psychology 74 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Computer Science 49 degrees awarded** $161,980 **International Relations and National Security Studies 47 degrees awarded** $77,199 **Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology 38 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/colgate-university/majors/) 05 / Colgate University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Colgate University?](/school/colgate-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/colgate-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Colgate University. Admissions peerHamilton College13.6% admitted+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | Hamilton College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $79,130+$1,213 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $28,985+$199 vs Colgate University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 13.6% | Higher-admission alternativeUnion College43.9% admitted+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | Union College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $81,583+$3,666 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $34,561+$5,775 vs Colgate University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 43.9% | Nearby alternativeHamilton CollegeNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | Hamilton College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $79,130+$1,213 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $28,985+$199 vs Colgate University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 13.6% | Higher-earnings alternativeCornell University$113,372 earnings+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | Cornell University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $113,372+$35,455 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $28,690\-$96 vs Colgate University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 8.8% | [Explore Cornell University →](/school/cornell-university/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity at Albany$17,167 average net price+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | University at Albany | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $66,256\-$11,661 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $17,167\-$11,619 vs Colgate University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 69.1% | [Explore University at Albany →](/school/university-at-albany/) Similar profileWidener UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Colgate University | Measure | Colgate University | Widener University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,917 | $80,946+$3,029 vs Colgate University | | Average annual net price | $28,786 | $25,759\-$3,027 vs Colgate University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 13.9% | 70.9% | [Explore Widener University →](/school/widener-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/colgate-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)