Colby-Sawyer tied for No.12 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Overall Ranking in the Regional Colleges North category, a jump from No. 17 a year ago.  

“I’m proud of our faculty, staff and students who contribute to this ranking through their commitments to student success,” said President Dean G. McCurdy. “Colby-Sawyer continually strives to innovate and improve, and our upward trend reflects the outstanding programs we offer and the outcomes of our graduates.”  

The ranking by U.S. News is based on a set of academic quality indicators, including graduation rates, first-year retention and graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, faculty salaries, borrower debt, peer assessment, post-graduate earnings and financial resources per student. 

Colby-Sawyer, a dynamic and innovative college founded in 1837, has an average class size of 19 and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The college offers undergraduate programs in the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business & Social Sciences and the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, as well as graduate programs and professional studies. 

The undergraduate academic experience — which features project-based courses and internships — encourages students to be thoughtful, contributing citizens prepared for graduate studies and purposeful careers.  

U.S. News defines Regional Colleges as those that focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. There are 397 Regional Colleges (197 public, 185 private and 15 for-profit) ranked within the North, South, Midwest and West regions.