Colgate University
Colgate University is a private nonprofit university in Hamilton, NY, with about 3,146 students on campus.
What to know about Colgate University
Nearly everyone who starts here finishes
91% of students graduate within six years, more than at 96% of 4-year colleges. 93% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓
What you pay depends heavily on your income
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $6,086 a year after grants. Families over $110,000 pay $48,234, 8 times as much. What it costs ↓
Colgate University admits a smaller share of applicants than almost any college
It admits 14% of applicants, about 1 in 7. The middle half of admitted students scored 1430–1540 on the SAT. Getting in ↓
Hamilton is essentially the campus itself
The Census counts Hamilton as its own place, and 73% of its residents are enrolled in college. The town figures below mostly describe campus life, not a town around it. Living in Hamilton ↓
What you study here makes a big difference to pay
Among Colgate University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $161,980 four years out. Biology graduates earn $57,996. Majors ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$159 a month against about $5,412 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 98% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Colgate University?
of applicants admitted
About 3 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1508.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $87,070 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $28,786.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $54,468 over 4 years · 84% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
3,180 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Hamilton
73% of Hamilton’s 4,078 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Hamilton pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Colgate University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.