Colby-Sawyer College vs Keene State College
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Colby-Sawyer College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Keene State College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby-Sawyer College at $27,671 vs Keene State College at $25,491. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $51,526 vs $52,450.
| Metric | Colby-Sawyer College | Keene State College |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Private | Public |
| State | Nh | Nh |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $27,671 | $25,491* |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $51,526 | $52,450* |
| Majors Tracked | 19 | 20 |
| Best ROI Major | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (77/100) | Quality Control and Safety Technologies (83/100)* |
| Best Major Debt | $29,506 | $25,052* |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $62,000 | $65,000* |
Colby-Sawyer College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Keene State College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby-Sawyer College at $27,671 vs Keene State College at $25,491. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $51,526 vs $52,450.
Explore More
Colby-Sawyer College and Keene State College 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-Sawyer College and Keene State College. 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.
Median first-year earnings are roughly comparable between the schools — $51,526 and $52,450. With earnings close, the financial comparison turns mostly on the cost side: total debt at graduation is the lever, since the earnings denominator essentially nets out.
Both schools sit in Nh, 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.