About Colby
Founded in 1813, Colby College is the 12th oldest liberal arts college in the United States.
Distinctive in its offerings, Colby provides an intimate, undergraduate-focused learning environment with a breadth of programs presenting students and faculty with unparalleled opportunities. A vibrant and fully integrated academic, residential, and cocurricular experience is sustained by a diverse and supportive community. Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby is a global institution with students representing nearly every U.S. state and approximately 70 countries.
Colby’s model provides the scale and impact of larger universities coupled with intensive learning in a community committed to scholarship and discovery, multidisciplinary approaches to integrated learning, study in the liberal arts, and leading-edge programs addressing the world’s most complex challenges. Its network of partnerships with prestigious cultural, research, medical, and business institutions extends educational and scholarly collaborations, providing students with unmatched experiences leading to postgraduate success.
The College’s wide variety of programs and labs provides students and the community access to unique experiences: the Colby College Museum of Art, the finest college art museum in the country, and the Lunder Institute for American Art have made the College a nationally and internationally recognized center for art scholarship; DavisConnects prepares students for lifelong success by combining a forward-thinking liberal arts education with extensive internship, research, and global opportunities for all students regardless of their personal networks and financial circumstances; and the 350,000-square-foot Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center is the most advanced and comprehensive NCAA D-III facility in the country; and the 74,000-square-foot Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts, one of the most advanced and innovative performing arts, opened in 2023 with highly flexible, multipurpose performance areas and studios.
In fall 2021, Colby opened the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the first such institute at a liberal arts college. In 2023 the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship opened to provide entrepreneurship education and training programs, funding for students to start commercial and social enterprises, mentorships, as well as innovation and makerspaces on campus and in downtown Waterville. The Buck Lab for Climate and Environment supports climate change and other environmental initiatives across disciplines, including research and experiential learning in labs, museums, and natural environments around the globe. The Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation prepares students to become science leaders and innovators by placing them in labs in Maine, throughout New England, and across the country that specialize in the next generation of research and life-saving bioscience innovation. The Lyons Arts Lab offers students the chance to imagine, create, and stage new films, plays, dances, musical compositions, and other forms of creative expression.
Colby’s new Island Campus, consisting of Allen and Benner islands, gives Colby a significant presence on the coast of Maine for a wide range of academic programs and activities and undisturbed environments ideal for conducting interdisciplinary experiences.