Residential Life
Community results from creating the right set of conditions. We start by assembling a diverse class of fascinating, curious people and giving them places to gather, opportunities to celebrate, and the support they need to thrive. First-years live together in clusters located in residence halls with upperclassmen, allowing them to experience the transition to college together while drawing on the wisdom and experience of older students. The dining halls are supported by an on-campus, student-run organic garden.
Clubs and Organizations
We define learning in broad terms. Beyond your classes and research and labs, you’ll fill your days and strengthen your core by doing the things you love. Choose among more than 100 existing options—club sports, publications, service efforts, cultural groups, campus government, political organizations, and an exciting variety of ensembles—or start your own. Propelled by our students’ interests and appetites, Colby is ever evolving.
Volunteering and Community Outreach
Compassion is a lifelong virtue that is strengthened through experience. At Colby you’ll combine energy, heart, and smarts to make positive and lasting contributions to local and far-flung communities. Colby students invest more than thousands of hours each year—including mentoring children, building community, addressing inequities, or launching bold new ideas for productive, cooperative engagement. You’ll grow as a person while improving the world around you.
The Arts
We offer some of the best opportunities in the country for blossoming visual and performing artists. Brand new art studios, dedicated world-class professors, the finest college art museum in the country (and the largest museum in the state), and a premier collection of American art all enhance the learning experience. Courses range from printmaking to interactive digital media to stagecraft and everywhere in between. Supported by events featuring internationally renowned filmmakers, artists, and activists, Colby’s art culture flourishes. Additionally, in 2023 Colby will open the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts, an $80 million center that will house a performance hall, performance studios for music, theater and dance, cinema studies space, and faculty offices.
Athletics
Our student-athletes excel—on game day and every day in between. Proud member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference and the NCAA Division III, Colby offers 32 varsity teams, 19 club sports (including the co-ed woodsmen’s team), and nine intramural sports—including broomball (think ice hockey without skates).
Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip (COOT)
You’ll prepare for your first year at Colby by getting to know Maine’s outdoor and cultural landscape with a small group of classmates through wilderness adventures, artistic pursuits, or culinary explorations. Colby upperclassmen lead you through new terrain while teaching you the basics of college life. You’ll make lasting friendships, find your inner explorer, and discover the spectacular beauty and richness of Maine. Learn more about COOT.
