United World College (UWC) is a network of 10 secondary schools on five continents dedicated to educating students from all over the world. In 2000, the Shelby Davis family started a scholarship program that pays full demonstrated financial need for any students completing the UWC program who are accepted and who enroll at Colby. In its first four years, the program brought almost 100 Davis Scholars to Colby from many corners of the world.

In 2005, Colby became one of the first 10 colleges or universities in the U.S. to win a Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. The award recognized Colby’s commitment to international content in the curriculum, a 70-percent participation rate in study abroad, and a student body that represents 66 countries.