Colby-Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire · Private Nonprofit · 80.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire posts a 32 ROI score, sitting in the Below Benchmark tier. The school is a small private liberal arts and pre-professional college that has notably restructured its pricing: the published in-state tuition of $19,125 reflects a recent price reset. Four-year total cost reaches $109,724. The numbers driving the score: a modest 10.5 percent earnings premium, $46,474 ten-year median earnings against $35,700 average earnings at six years, a 21.8-year payback period, and a 0.756 debt-to-earnings ratio on $27,000 in median debt. The bright spots are completion (57.5 percent, solid) and repayment (excellent at 84 percent making progress at three years). The signature Nursing program (77 graduates, B+ grade) is a genuine standout that supports a substantial fraction of the school's enrollment.
How Colby-Sawyer College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period21.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Colby-Sawyer College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,125/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,125/yr |
| Average net price | $27,431/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $109,724 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,474 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 771 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $19,125/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $27,431/year, or roughly $109,724 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $22,456/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,679/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,700) and comes to 0.76, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $22,456 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,687 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,437 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,412 |
| $110,001+ | $29,679 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Notable inversion: families under $30,000 pay $22,456, but the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket pays $19,687, which is less than the lowest-income tier. That is a small-sample anomaly worth flagging, possibly reflecting unusual mix of merit-and-need aid awards in the very-low-income cohort. Four-year cost for low-income students is approximately $90,000, against $46,474 median earnings ten years out; the math is hard.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $19,687 (the $30,001 to $48,000 tier) to $24,437 (the $48,001 to $75,000 tier). The latter is the value sweet spot, just under sticker. Total four-year cost lands around $79,000 to $98,000. Combined with the strong 84 percent repayment rate, the math works best for middle-income families committed to the Nursing program.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $29,679, with the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket at $27,412. The curve is normal but steep, and the high-income tier pays above the sticker tuition because of room and board. Four-year cost for the top bracket is roughly $119,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Colby-Sawyer College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $82,803 | B+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $55,024 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $68,502 | C+ |
| Psychology | $56,533 | C+ |
| Biology | $45,783 | C |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $47,114 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Colby-Sawyer's signature program with 77 graduates per year, earning B+ grade. First-year median earnings of $78,856 grow to $82,803 by year four, against $27,000 in median debt and a 0.342 debt-to-earnings ratio. This is the clear financial case at Colby-Sawyer, with earnings strong enough to make the school's high net price defensible.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 22 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $30,804 against $27,000 in median debt yield a 0.877 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings of $55,024 show meaningful progression, indicating many graduates move into PT school, athletic training, or strength-coaching roles. As a terminal bachelor's the math is uncomfortable; with a clear graduate-school pipeline the picture changes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration shows 20 graduates with C+ grade. First-year earnings of $54,304 grow to $68,502 by year four, with $27,000 in median debt and a 0.497 debt-to-earnings ratio. This is one of the more defensible non-Nursing programs at Colby-Sawyer, with year-four earnings strong enough to support the debt load. Limited cohort size means program identity is modest, but outcomes are decent.
Psychology
Psychology produces 15 graduates with C+ grade. Year-four median earnings of $56,533 against $27,000 in debt yield a 0.478 debt-to-earnings ratio. The year-four figure suggests many graduates either move into graduate school or find applied human-services roles that pay better than entry-level.
Biology
Biology produces 14 graduates with C grade. Year-four median earnings of $45,783 against $26,160 in debt give a 0.571 debt-to-earnings ratio. The earnings figure suggests most graduates remain at the bachelor's level rather than entering graduate or professional school. Pre-health or pre-veterinary plans would improve the long-run trajectory.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 82.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 84.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 80.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 83.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Colby-Sawyer College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 80.1% |
| Enrollment | 771 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 22.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,194 |
Colby-Sawyer admits 80 percent of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, indicating a test-optional posture. The 57.5 percent completion rate is solid for this admit profile, suggesting the school's small-college environment provides reasonable retention support. Prepared students should expect straightforward admission and a reasonable shot at completing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby-Sawyer College (this school) | 32 | $27,431 | $46,474 |
| Dartmouth College | 95 | $29,519 | $97,434 |
| Franklin Pierce University | 39 | $27,154 | $53,353 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Colby-Sawyer College side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate is just 22.8 percent, indicating a higher-income student body. Enrollment is 771, very small and intimate. The Nursing pathway, with 77 graduates per year, is the clearest fit; outside Nursing, students should look hard at whether the $27,000 net price aligns with their post-graduation plans. Poor fits include Kinesiology (D grade, 22 graduates) without a clear graduate-school pipeline.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Colby-Sawyer College scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,431 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,474 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.8 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Colby-Sawyer College: Common Questions
Is Colby-Sawyer College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Colby-Sawyer College scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,431 a year after aid against $46,474 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Colby-Sawyer College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $27,431 a year, or roughly $109,724 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Colby-Sawyer College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,474 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,674 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Colby-Sawyer College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 21.8 years for Colby-Sawyer College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Colby-Sawyer College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $35,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Colby-Sawyer College?
The six-year graduation rate is 57.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.