Colgate University

Colgate University is renowned for its academic rigor, the beauty and vitality of its campus, and the contributions of its alumni — who are exceptionally engaged with the institution — across a variety of fields and endeavors. Larger than classic liberal arts colleges, Colgate boasts substantial academic offerings as well as small classes; a strong emphasis on faculty-student interaction; and a residential community valuing all forms of intellectual curiosity. Colgate’s faculty members are leading teachers and scholars, committed to intellectual engagement in all its forms. Colgate’s approximately 3,120 highly motivated students achieve academically, athletically, and artistically, and are actively engaged in the world around them. Colgate is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff, and student population, fostering an inclusive community that embraces and values diversity in an environment of mutual respect, communication, and engagement.

Colgate was first founded in 1817 as The Baptist Education Society of the State of New York by 13 men with $13 and 13 prayers. The number 13 is still Colgate’s lucky number; Friday the 13th is always designated Colgate Day. New York State granted the school a formal charter in 1819, and the Baptists in New York City — soap maker William Colgate among them — consolidated their seminary with the Hamilton school to form the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution in 1823. A state charter issued in 1846 changed the name to Madison University and established the right to grant degrees. Madison was changed to Colgate in 1890, in honor of the Colgate family’s enduring support.

Today, Colgate is a thriving, highly selective liberal arts institution. Located in the geographic center of New York State, Colgate’s campus in Hamilton, N.Y., features carefully preserved architecture, immaculate grounds, and a hillside setting. It is consistently named one of the most beautiful in the nation. It is a friendly and close-knit place where students develop lifelong bonds with the institution, with each other, and with faculty and staff members. More than 90 buildings on the 575-acre campus (the oldest dating back to 1827) and in Hamilton house Colgate’s core educational, administrative, and student life functions. Faculty and staff members make intentional choices to live and work in Hamilton, N.Y., and this leads to a strong scholarly community that provides the foundation for an undergraduate education and preparation for life after college that is unique to Colgate.

The University’s academic program is grounded in its Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, which has been in place since 1928 and is required of every undergraduate. The five core classes are Legacies of the Ancient World, Challenges of Modernity, Core Communities, Core Sciences, and Areas of Inquiry. Undergraduates may choose from 56 majors and more than 48 minors. Classes are small, averaging 17 students, and are taught by more than 330 full-time faculty members, 95 percent of whom have received a PhD or terminal degree in their field. Students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty members in research efforts, and Colgate undergraduates have co-authored articles in professional publications for more than 30 years.

Colgate also has a rich tradition of international and off-campus study and has one of the largest faculty-led semester-long off-campus study programs in the nation. The University is ranked first by the Institute of International Education in percentage of students participating in mid-length (semester) off-campus study programs at an undergraduate-only institution. The off-campus study groups run for an entire semester, in locations around the world, including Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and within the United States. Extended study programs offer students three weeks of field-based or international study following the end of the semester. Through these and more than 100 other affiliated programs, roughly two-thirds of Colgate students will study off campus during their undergraduate years.

Colgate is committed to fostering learning and working environments where all people can thrive, and challenging systems that create dichotomies of privilege and disadvantage. Adopted in 2019, the Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) stands as Colgate’s most definitive plan in 200 years for elevating the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the institution. Through both broad aspirations and concrete strategic plans, the DEI presents a framework for moving forward the work of creating an inclusive campus, and for engaging the Colgate community in this effort in the years ahead as an integral part of the University’s Third-Century Plan. The key goals and elements of the DEI plan can be found at colgate.edu/DEI-Plan.

In recent years, the University has made significant investments in the campus in support of students’ academic and overall development, most notably construction of Benton Hall, the home of Colgate’s comprehensive career development initiatives; the addition of the Class of 1965 Arena to its athletics facilities; and a new campus quad featuring two residence halls that provide spaces for collaboration, intellectual exploration, and student-faculty engagement.

Colgate is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of accepted students, and its students graduate with one of the nation’s lowest average levels of indebtedness. The average debt for students in the Class of 2020 was $12,503. New in 2020–21, the University’s Colgate Commitment eliminates federal loans for all current and incoming students with a family income up to $175,000 and household assets typical of this income range.

With its endowment valued at more than $1.1 billion, and an annual operating budget of $225 million, Colgate holds a AA credit rating with S&P, which was affirmed in March 2021. In addition, Moody’s Investment Service affirmed Colgate’s Aa3 rating in October 2019 based on the university’s excellent strategic positioning as a highly selective private liberal arts school with a robust market and sizable financial resources.

In 2021 and again in 2022, the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education acknowledged Colgate as one of the Top 30 Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs.