Colby College

Colby College is a private liberal arts college located in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Colby offers undergraduate programs across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and emphasizes a residential learning environment. The college is known for its Colby College Museum of Art, its programs in the sciences and global studies, and its focus on undergraduate research and experiential learning. Students drawn to Colby College often seek a small campus setting, close faculty interaction, and a broad-based liberal arts education in a New England setting.

Colby College was founded in 1813 in Waterville, Maine, originally as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution. Established by Baptist leaders to provide religious and classical education, it was later renamed Waterville College in 1821. In 1867, following a major donation from Gardner Colby, the institution adopted the name Colby College. During the nineteenth century, Colby College expanded its curriculum beyond theology and admitted women in 1871, becoming one of the early coeducational colleges in New England. In the 1930s, the college relocated from downtown Waterville to its current Mayflower Hill campus. Throughout the twentieth century, Colby College strengthened its liberal arts focus, expanded academic programs, and developed facilities such as the Colby College Museum of Art. Today, Colby College remains a residential undergraduate institution with a broad liberal arts curriculum.