Mathematics at Colby College

A mathematics degree from one of the nation's most selective liberal arts colleges faces an unusual data problem: Colby's small graduate cohorts mean actual outcomes aren't publicly available. Based on national benchmarks for math bachelor's programs, graduates might expect around $49,000 in first-year earnings with roughly $22,000 in debt—a manageable 0.45 ratio that suggests the degree won't overwhelm early-career finances.

But here's where the picture gets murky. The single Maine school with reported data—Bowdoin College, Colby's peer institution—shows first-year earnings of $90,000, nearly double the national median. Whether Colby's outcomes track closer to Bowdoin's exceptional performance or fall somewhere nearer the national average makes an enormous difference in the program's value proposition. The 7% admission rate and 1500 average SAT suggest Colby attracts similarly accomplished students, yet without actual graduate data, you're making assumptions about outcomes that could swing by $40,000 or more.

The math itself is straightforward: if Colby's graduates perform like typical math majors nationally, the debt load is reasonable. If they perform like their Maine peer, it's an exceptional return. The uncertainty is whether a Colby mathematics degree opens the same doors as a Bowdoin one, or whether something about location, alumni networks, or curriculum creates meaningful differences that the data can't yet reveal.