Colby-Sawyer College vs Magdalen College
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Colby-Sawyer College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Magdalen College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby-Sawyer College at $27,671 vs Magdalen College at $28,996. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $51,526 vs $45,000.
| Metric | Colby-Sawyer College | Magdalen College |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Private | Private |
| State | Nh | Nh |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $27,671* | $28,996 |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $51,526* | $45,000 |
| Majors Tracked | 19 | 1 |
| Best ROI Major | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (77/100)* | Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (62/100) |
| Best Major Debt | $29,506 | $28,996* |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $62,000* | $45,000 |
Colby-Sawyer College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Magdalen College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Colby-Sawyer College at $27,671 vs Magdalen College at $28,996. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $51,526 vs $45,000.
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Colby-Sawyer College and Magdalen 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.
Debt loads run similar between the two schools — averages of $27,671 and $28,996 respectively. With debt comparable, the financial decision essentially reduces to the earnings side: which degree, from which school, produces the better post-graduation income trajectory.
Median first-year earnings sit moderately apart at Colby-Sawyer College and Magdalen College. The school with stronger earnings has a real edge for high-cost-of-living markets where the absolute dollar figure matters; the school with lower earnings can still be the better choice in markets where the cost-of-living differential more than offsets the income gap.
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.