10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$9,560at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Colby College
⌖ Waterville, ME · 5 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$9,560 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
9.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
+4%Modeled 10-year ROI
$70,828Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$17,180Average net price / year
$85,420Cost of attendance
$70,828Median earnings · year 5 after completion
88.8%Completion rate
7.1%Admission rate
2,407Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$43,563Year 1
$77,429Year 4
$70,828Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Economics · Bachelor's Degree$103,4912Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$96,6213Area Studies · Bachelor's Degree$64,2074Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Bachelor's Degree$55,719Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in ME
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Lewiston, ME
Maine College of Health Professions
- Annual net price
- $26,312
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,660
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -14%
Bowdoin College
- Annual net price
- $14,398
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $79,736
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +46%
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Annual net price
- $27,555
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $68,578
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -19%
Bates College
- Annual net price
- $29,351
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $73,010
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -6%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $103,491 | $24,250 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $96,621 | $27,000 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $64,207 | Not available |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's Degree | $55,719 | $19,313 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $17,500 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.