Admissions Factors
What Colgate Looks For
Colgate rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and class rank.
How Colgate rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
17.5%
3,030 of 17,310 applicants
Early decision admit rate
35.5%
Early decision admits equal 59% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
1.8%
23 of 1,281 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.85. 79% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Colgate look for in applicants?
Colgate rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and class rank.
Does Colgate consider legacy status?
Colgate rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Colgate track demonstrated interest?
Colgate rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Colgate's waitlist acceptance rate?
1,281 students stayed on the waitlist and 23 were admitted, a rate of 1.8%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Colgate's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 477 of 1,342 applicants were admitted (35.5%), against 17.5% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Colgate’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
