Explore Colby

Experience it all! Join us for Explore Colby, a series of virtual events and an open house designed to provide you a front-row seat to Colby faculty; opportunities to connect with current students; and community conversations with world-class scholars, artists, and thinkers. Our fall open house will be held on Monday, October 19.

Registration starts at 7:45 a.m. and programming will officially kick off at 9 a.m. View our full in-person program schedule here.

Can’t make it to campus? Sign up for a virtual Explore Colby event below. Virtual events will take place throughout the months of September and October, including financial aid sessions, holistic admissions review sessions, student panels, panels on internships, research, and global experiences, and more.

If you have any questions in the meantime or would like to learn more about Colby, please reach out to [email protected].

Virtual Information Sessions

Led by Colby admissions officers, virtual information sessions provide an opportunity to learn more about Colby’s unique offerings and to have your questions answered. Virtual information sessions take place every Tuesday.

Residential Life

Wherever you reside at Colby—from the many suites with views of Johnson Pond, to the single, double, or triple accommodations designed for community development, to the senior apartments—learning continues outside the classroom as you exchange ideas, opinions, and life experiences with classmates and faculty-in-residence. The Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons puts Colby students in the very heart of the city, providing opportunities for civic engagement and building relationships that enrich the historic bond between the City of Waterville and Colby.

Brick building with green doors and windows surrounded by trees and lawn featuring a well maintained entrance and pathway

Our 34 residential halls range in size, design, and feel offering their own culture and community environment.

Our newest dorm along Mayflower Hill Drive, a set of five interconnected houses provides residence to over 200 students.

Two students sit on a couch speaking to each other while three more students smile working at a table in the background

The first floor of the Main Street Commons includes retail space as well as space for town council meetings and other community and college gatherings.

A scenic view of a college campus with historic buildings and a clock tower under a clear sky at sunset

Housing at Colby is guaranteed for all four years, and nearly 100% of students live on campus, either here on Mayflower Hill or in the downtown dorm.

Graduate School and Career Advising

DavisConnects prepares students for lifelong success by guaranteeing access to unique internship, research, or global experiences for every student, regardless of personal and financial networks. These experiences are supported by a robust funding system and an advising model that pairs students with industry expert advisors from their first day on campus.

A student walks through the doorway of a room next to a wooden desk with a monitor above it that reads DAVIS CONNECTS Design Your Future

Educating the Next Generation of Science and Technology Leaders

In September of last year, Colby received the largest gift of its history to develop a state-of-the-art science complex, which is scheduled to open in 2030. The world-class facility will anchor new programs in public health and targeted engineering disciplines such as biomedical, environmental, and materials engineering, and will empower students to tackle challenges through a unique blend of technical expertise and liberal arts problem-solving.

Colby College Museum of Art

With more than 10,000 works of art across all media, the Colby Museum is one of the nation’s premier institutions of American art. Engaging with approximately 100 Colby courses each year, the Museum sits at the crossroads of interdisciplinary thinking and facilitates intellectual engagement between students, faculty, staff, artists, and community members.

Modern building facade featuring a colorful geometric mural on the central staircase illuminated at dusk

Our Location

Waterville

Waterville’s Main Street is lined with local businesses that showcase the variety of the city’s offerings including local cafés, specialty shops, art galleries, a farmer’s market, an opera house and independent movie theater, and a collection of restaurants boasting cuisine from all over the world.

Aerial view of a riverfront city at sunset showcasing buildings parks and waterfront pathways illuminated in evening light

A group of 7 students walking along a green field laughing

The RiverWalk is in one of Waterville’s most important historic districts. You can walk from downtown along the Head of Falls where many displays provide you with unique narratives about the local history of the Kennebec Valley.

Cozy restaurant interior with people dining warm lighting exposed brick walls and large windows showing the street outside

Waterville is home to restaurants and cafés featuring cuisine from around the world.

Three students exiting a coffee shop holding drinks and wearing backpacks

Collaborative partnerships and strong investments have contributed much toward the revitalization of Waterville’s downtown—including the transformation of historic buildings.

City street at dusk featuring buildings with an illuminated ARTS sign and parked cars along the road

The Paul J. Schupf Art Center includes a contemporary gallery of the Colby College Museum of Art, Maine Film Center, Ticonic Gallery + Studios, and multidisciplinary educational spaces.

Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center

Colby’s athletics and recreation center, which opened in August 2020, offers a range of activities, including varsity, intramural, and club sports; health and wellness options; new exercise studios and personalized training; mindfulness and meditation rooms; and fitness and education programs.

Modern building surrounded by greenery and trees set against a scenic sunset sky with clouds and vibrant fall foliage

Allen and Benner Islands and the Belgrade Lakes

Colby’s campus extends beyond Mayflower Hill with interdisciplinary research and recreational opportunities at the Colby-Hume Center, located on the nearby Belgrade Lakes. In the Gulf of Maine, Allen and Benner islands are sites where renowned American artist Andrew Wyeth painted some of his greatest works. In 2022, Colby acquired these two islands as part of an initiative to preserve these extraordinary areas and continue to utilize them as centers for learning, research, and creative inspiration.

Aerial view of a lush green island surrounded by blue water and waves with scattered buildings visible along the shore — View of Allen Island

This Colby Life

Learn more about our community by following along on @ThisColbyLife or joining our WeChat. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].