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Downtown Waterville, ME IMG 2639Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Waterville

Waterville is a college town: 18 of every 100 residents are students

Colby College (2,284 students on campus) and Thomas College (1,597) are inside the city, and Kennebec Valley Community College (1,525) is 4.2 miles from the center, in Fairfield. Across Maine, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town18% of residents are studentsColby CollegeThomas CollegeKennebec Valley Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Waterville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
5,406 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Colby College
Residents in college
18%
Above ME (6%)
Nearest community college
4.2 mi
Kennebec Valley · $4,156 tuition
Nearest public university
25.3 mi
University of Maine at Farmington · $11,308 in-state
Students on campus in Waterville
3,881
next to 17,579 residents

What stands out about college in Waterville

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town18 of every 100 Waterville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.Three colleges within 4.2 milesColby College admits 7% of applicants; Thomas College admits 96%. Together they have 5,406 students on campus.A community college 4.2 miles awayKennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield: tuition and fees $4,156 a year for Maine residents.In-state price at University of Maine at FarmingtonLiving in Maine, the University of Maine at Farmington charges $11,308 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $23,878. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Waterville

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

18 of every 100 Waterville residents are in college (ME: 6).

3,881students on campus at Waterville’s 2 colleges, next to 17,579 residents (dorm students count as residents)
784college students live in Waterville households rather than dorms
35.5median age · ME 44.8
51%of homes rented · ME 26%
$978median rent · 14% below the state
WatervilleWaterville, ME
Cost of living$978/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesCJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Waterville’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 21.0% of Waterville residents are below the poverty line, 20.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 27% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C+

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 18%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Waterville’s median age is 35.5 (Maine 44.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Waterville

Two private colleges within 1.4 miles, and Kennebec Valley Community College 4.2 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Maine at Farmington, is 25.3 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miColby CollegeThomas CollegeKennebec ValleyWaterville
University or collegeCommunity college
Colby CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,284 on campus · In Waterville7%admitted$17knet price89%graduate$80kearningsThomas CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,597 on campus · In Waterville96%admitted$19knet price54%graduate$45kearningsKennebec Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,525 on campus · 4.2 mi · Fairfield$4knet price39%graduate$36kearningsTuition and fees: $4,156 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Waterville’s median household income ($53,580) falls.

Colby CollegeIn Waterville · sticker $85,420$3,666a year
Kennebec Valley Community College4.2 mi · Fairfield · sticker $12,149 · tuition $4,156$4,146a year
University of Maine at Farmington25.3 mi · Farmington · sticker $25,822$15,088a year
Thomas CollegeIn Waterville · sticker $47,198$16,227a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Colby CollegeThomas CollegeKennebec ValleyUniversity of Maine at Farmington
Colby College89% graduate$80k earnings$19k typical debt
Thomas College54% graduate$45k earnings$24k typical debt
Kennebec Valley Community College39% graduate$36k earnings$13k typical debt
University of Maine at Farmington52% graduate$44k earnings$24k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Waterville

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Waterville’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Social sciences 22%Biology 10%Psychology 9%Business 8%Computer science 7%Natural resources 6%Everything else 37%

Biggest programs

EconomicsColby College · 94 graduates a year
$103k4 yrs out
Political Science and GovernmentColby College · 66 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchColby College · 47 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsThomas College · 22 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Area StudiesColby College · 17 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsThomas College · 16 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessThomas College · 14 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsThomas College · 14 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Waterville

Is Waterville a college town?

Yes. 18 of every 100 Waterville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Maine. Colby College has 2,284 students on campus, next to 17,579 residents.

What colleges are in Waterville?

Colby College and Thomas College are inside the city. Kennebec Valley Community College is 4.2 miles from the center, in Fairfield.

Why is Waterville’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 21.0% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 20.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 5 points).

What is the closest community college to Waterville, and what does it cost?

Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, 4.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,156 a year for Maine residents; the federal net price, $3,910, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Colby College?

Colby College admitted 7% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,460–1,550 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Waterville. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →