Colby College vs College of the Atlantic
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Colby College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to College of the Atlantic at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby College at $24,488 vs College of the Atlantic at $25,124. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $55,900 vs $45,000.
| Metric | Colby College | College of the Atlantic |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Private | Private |
| State | Me | Me |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $24,488* | $25,124 |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $55,900* | $45,000 |
| Majors Tracked | 20 | 1 |
| Best ROI Major | Computer Science (95/100)* | Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (64/100) |
| Best Major Debt | $21,240* | $25,124 |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $95,000* | $45,000 |
Colby College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to College of the Atlantic at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby College at $24,488 vs College of the Atlantic at $25,124. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $55,900 vs $45,000.
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Colby College and College of the Atlantic graduate students at similar rates — 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. With completion rates comparable, the comparison reduces to cost, earnings, and program mix; the institutional-effect-on-completion question essentially nets out.
Average median debt is roughly even across Colby College and College of the Atlantic. The cost side of the comparison effectively cancels out; the meaningful question becomes whether the program mix and the earnings outcomes differ enough to break the tie.
Early-career earnings run moderately apart — $45,000 versus $55,900. At the mid-range gap, the ROI math is usually decided by the debt side rather than the earnings side: the school with the more favorable cost structure typically wins the absolute return calculation even when its earnings figure is the lower of the two.
Both schools sit in Me, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.