More selective than 80% of New Hampshire colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $38,527. College Scorecard.
Higher than 60% of New Hampshire colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 10% of New Hampshire colleges we cover and 30% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Colby-Sawyer College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,557 applicants, Colby-Sawyer College admitted 1,401 and 174 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Colby-Sawyer College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Colby-Sawyer College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Colby-Sawyer College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in New Hampshire. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,456 | $92,070 | 19.5 years |
| $30–48k | $19,687 | $80,717 | 17.1 years |
| $48–75k | $24,437 | $100,192 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $27,412 | $112,389 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $29,679 | $121,684 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (52% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($46,474) minus $41,763 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,711 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Colby-Sawyer College majors, earnings & careers
Colby-Sawyer College offers 27 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Science & Math · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Non-degree / basic skills · 1
Highest-earning majors at Colby-Sawyer College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $82,803 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $68,502 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $56,533 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $55,024 | $27,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $47,114 | — |
| Biology | $45,783 | $26,160 |
Quick list of all 27 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$45,783
- Business Administration$68,502
- Communications—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$47,114
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,024
- Leisure and Recreational Activities—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$82,803
- Psychology$56,533
- Public Health—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in New London
2 bedrooms $1,800.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 85 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Merrimack County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Merrimack County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Colby-Sawyer College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in New Hampshire by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby-Sawyer College | 80% | $27,431 | 57% | $46,474 | This school |
| Rivier University | 83% | $28,082 | 52% | $52,248 | |
| Franklin Pierce University | 93% | $27,154 | 54% | $53,353 | |
| Saint Anselm College | 78% | $34,779 | 80% | $73,371 | |
| New England College | 92% | $26,972 | 35% | $42,092 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Colby-Sawyer College would cost you $651 less per year than Rivier University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Colby-Sawyer College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$20,363).
- Rivier University gives aided families $14,321 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New Hampshire resident | Colby-Sawyer College | Rivier University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $19,125 | $39,488 | −$20,363 |
| Books & supplies | $2,000 | $1,400 | +$600 |
| Housing & meals | $16,858 | $14,943 | +$1,915 |
| Personal & travel | $1,450 | $2,372 | −$922 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$906 | −$4,704 | +$3,798 |
| Sticker price | $38,527 | $53,499 | −$14,972 |
| Average grants | −$11,096 | −$25,417 | +$14,321 |
| You pay | $27,431 | $28,082 | −$651 |
“+” means Colby-Sawyer College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Colby-Sawyer College
What is the Colby-Sawyer College acceptance rate?
Colby-Sawyer College accepts 80% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,401 of 1,557 applicants were admitted.
How much does Colby-Sawyer College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $38,527 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,431 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,456 and families earning $110k+ pay $29,679.
How much do Colby-Sawyer College graduates earn?
Former Colby-Sawyer College students earn a median $46,474 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Colby-Sawyer College graduation rate?
57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Colby-Sawyer College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Colby-Sawyer College costs about $100,192 after grants ($24,437 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,474 ten years after starting, $4,711 more than high school graduates in New Hampshire ($41,763), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Colby-Sawyer College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Colby-Sawyer College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Colby-Sawyer College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/colby-sawyer-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).