How to Get Into Colgate University: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

July 31, 2025

Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, has long been a highly selective liberal arts school, but its popularity among top-of-their-class teens has exploded in the last couple of years. In fact, the amount of applications received has nearly tripled since 2020, leading to a Colgate acceptance rate that inches closer to single digits every year. The end result is yet another school that is now an uncertain admissions outcome for even the most accomplished students.

Given that the process of gaining acceptance into Colgate has become increasingly challenging, this blog is designed to provide you with data on:

Colgate鈥檚 Class of 2028 acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
Colgate鈥檚 ED acceptance rate
SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Colgate applicants
Admissions trends for the Class of 2028
The demographics of current Colgate undergraduates
Colgate鈥檚 yield rate
How Colgate admissions officers evaluate candidates
Tips for applying to Colgate
How to assess whether applying to Colgate is even worth the $60 application fee (for you)

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Colgate University Acceptance Rate 鈥� Class of 2028

For the Class of 2028, Colby University received a whopping 20,682 applications. (While this number is down from the previous year, it’s still up 140% from four years ago.) Of these Colby-hopefuls, 2,871 were accepted. This means that Colby’s acceptance rate was 13.8%

Historical Colgate acceptance rates are as follows:

	Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027	21,130	2,526	12%
Class of 2026	21,109	2,624	12.4%
Class of 2025	17,540	3,015	17%
Class of 2024	8,583	2,358	27%

Colgate Early Decision Acceptance Rate

The Class of 2028 saw 471 ED applicants accepted from a pool of 2,450 applicants, which translates to an ED acceptance rate of 19.2%. Although still much higher than the regular decision rate, the ED acceptance rate has dropped nearly 40 points in the last three years.

Colgate offers both ED I and ED II, with November 1 and January 15 deadlines.

What GPA do you need to get into Colgate?

Among enrolled 2024-2025 first-year students, the average GPA was 3.94. Though this year’s numbers haven’t been released, historically, about 80% of enrolled students have a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Colgate?

79% of the enrolled Class of 2028 hailed from the top 10% of their graduating class, while 96% earned a place in the top 20%.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Colgate?

According to Class of 2028 data, the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1480-1540, and the mid-50% ACT range was 33-35. In a recent year, 91% scored above a 1400 on the SAT, and 99% scored above a 30 on the ACT.

Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥� Class of 2028

After skyrocketing from 2020 to 2021, the number of applications decreased slightly from the previous year.
Applications were received from all 50 states and 161 countries.
115 legacy applicants were admitted from a pool of 275. That means Colby’s legacy acceptance rate was 42%. Ultimately, 57 legacy students enrolled, meaning that legacies comprised 7% of the Class of 2028.
26% of the incoming class identified as multicultural students.
The Class of 2028 is comprised of 8% international students.

Who Gets Into Colgate University?

Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of Colgate undergraduates:

In past cycles, the greatest number of students have come from the following U.S. states:

New York
Massachusetts
New Jersey
California
Connecticut
Pennsylvania
Connecticut

As with all selective colleges, those from lower-populated, more remote areas of the country (e.g., Wyoming, South Dakota, and Alaska) enjoy a boost to their admissions prospects. Keep this in mind when you consider Colgate’s acceptance rate.

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows:

Asian: 5.5%
Hispanic: 10%
Black or African American: 3%
Two or more races: 6%
White: 64%

The breakdown of the Class of 2028 by gender of the undergraduate student body is:

Male: 44%
Female: 56%

The majority of 2024-25 freshmen attended public schools:

Public: 53%
Private: 47%

Colgate鈥檚 Yield Rate

Colgate University鈥檚 yield rate 鈥� the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted 鈥� was 29% last year, slightly lower than previous years. For comparison, schools like Stanford and Harvard were over 80%, and the University of Chicago, MIT, and Yale all sported 70%+ yield rates. Colgate also finishes behind comparable institutions such as Boston College (41%) and Georgetown (48%).

How Colgate Rates Applicants

Colgate ranks only three factors as being 鈥渧ery important鈥� to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, and class rank. Rating as 鈥渋mportant鈥� are: standardized test scores, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. Keep this in mind as you ponder Colgate’s acceptance rate.

In the words of Colgate admissions officers themselves:

鈥淐olgate鈥檚 admission process is designed to identify individuals of academic skill, intellectual and cultural diversity, and wide-ranging interests and backgrounds.鈥�
鈥淎ll admission credentials, from the traditional secondary school record聽to letters of reference that cite intellectual and creative promise, are important. Personal character and qualities that both reflect and determine the productive use of a student鈥檚 talent are also important to the admission decision.鈥�
鈥淎cademic achievement, reflecting a student engaged with both ideas and learning, is important to the admission decision. Colgate also values students with interests reflecting curiosity and commitment聽as well as a sense of empathy for others and excitement for the spirit of intellectual pursuits. Well-developed special interests, talents, and skills of all kinds can be a significant part of an admission application.鈥�

Tips for Applying to Colgate

Given Colgate’s acceptance rate, if you plan on joining the 20,000+ Colgate hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

Colgate will remain test-optional through at least the 2026-27 admissions cycle.
There are offered through the university. These are non-evaluative in nature. For tips on how to ace a college interview, check out this blog.
Colgate states that they do not consider 鈥�demonstrated interest.鈥� However, we still recommend that you initiate contact with the admissions office, connect through social media, and visit campus or meet Colgate reps at college fairs near you.

Colgate Supplementary Essays

Colgate offers several optional essays that serious applicants should consider mandatory. In the 2025-26 admissions cycles, the prompts were as follows:

Prompt 1

On Colgate鈥檚 campus, students engage with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and perspectives during the course of their educational and social experiences. In 250 words or less, please share the benefits you see in engaging with a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff as part of your Colgate experience.

Prompt 2

Colgate students immerse themselves in social and intellectual pursuits that inspire them. Tell us in 200-250 words what inspires you and why you want to pursue that at Colgate.

Prompt 3

Please complete the following so we can learn a bit more about you. Each response should be no more than 13 words.

I am fascinated by鈥�
My favorite book, movie, or television show is鈥�
The person I admire most is鈥�
In the future, I hope to鈥�
One historical figure I would like to meet is鈥�
My favorite food is鈥�
One thing I would change is鈥�
My favorite place is鈥�
I am the best version of myself when鈥�
Something that has changed my perspective is鈥�
I am seeking a community that鈥�
My favorite family/community/cultural tradition is鈥�
I am drawn to Colgate University because鈥�

Should I Apply to Colgate University?

With Colgate growing increasingly selective, students will need to possess strong SAT/ACT scores, close to a 4.0 weighted GPA, and earn a place in the top 10% of their high school class in order to qualify for serious consideration.

Colgate University Acceptance Rate 鈥� Final Thoughts

All college-bound teens need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of 鈥渢arget鈥� and 鈥渟afety鈥� schools. You鈥檒l definitely want to do this in conjunction with an admissions professional (including your own high school counselor). For more, revisit our blog entitled: How Many Colleges Should I Apply to?

Need additional college application resources? Consider starting with the following:

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College Admissions

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).