Colgate acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Colgate University · Private nonprofit · Hamilton, NY · 3,131 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Colgate admitted 12.0% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 26.4% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $73,646 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 26.4% | 8,374 | 2,209 |
| 2014 | 26.2% | 8,717 | 2,287 |
| 2015 | 27.4% | 8,724 | 2,387 |
| 2016 | 28.8% | 8,394 | 2,416 |
| 2017 | 28.1% | 8,542 | 2,404 |
| 2018 | 24.9% | 9,716 | 2,422 |
| 2019 | 22.6% | 9,951 | 2,247 |
| 2020 | 27.5% | 8,583 | 2,358 |
| 2021 | 17.2% | 17,540 | 3,015 |
| 2022 | 12.4% | 21,109 | 2,624 |
| 2023 | 12.0% | 21,130 | 2,526 |
Applications went from 8,374 in fall 2013 to 21,130 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $8,610 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,748 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $15,150 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,968 |
| Over $110,000 | $49,725 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $73,646 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $91,222 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $29,409 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 21% submitted the SAT, 18% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| NYU NY | 9.4% | $65,622 same for all |
| Cornell NY | 8.2% | $72,270 same for all |
| Columbia University NY | 4.2% | $74,180 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
The fall 2023 admit rate at Colgate was 12.0%, reflecting 2,526 offers made against 21,130 applications.1 The rate in fall 2013 was 26.4%, so it has gone down 14.4 percentage points.1 It declined in 7 of the 10 yearly changes, with the fall 2021 rate of 17.2% following 27.5% a year earlier.1 Applications grew 152%, from 8,374 to 21,130, while admissions grew only 14%.1
Colgate is test-optional. Entrants who submitted scores had a middle 50% of 710 to 750 on SAT reading and writing, 720 to 780 on SAT math and 33 to 34 on the ACT.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 total $73,646 for all students, above the $35,880 median of the 119 private colleges in New York.2 Aid shifts the cost sharply. Families earning $0 to $30,000 paid an average net price of $8,610 in 2024-25, those at $48,001 to $75,000 paid $15,150, and those earning over $110,000 paid $49,725.2
Among the 2019 entering class, 89% had graduated by the 6-year mark, while the median for 157 New York colleges is 56%.2 Of the fall 2023 entrants, 93% were retained. Median earnings of $96,328 are recorded for 10 years after entry, and borrowers had a median debt of $12,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 21,130 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 2,526 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 807 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 3,131 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 710 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 750 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 720 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 21% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 18% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $73,646 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $91,222 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $29,409 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $8,610 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,748 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $15,150 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,968 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $49,725 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 89% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 93% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 15% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $96,328 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $12,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, New York (N = 119) | $35,880 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, New York (N = 157) | 56% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Colgate, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page