Colgate is a leading American university for students who seek rigorous classes, passionate faculty, and the assurance that they will learn to thrive in work and life.Not all liberal arts degrees are created equal. And a Colgate University education is distinct—in what we teach and how we teach it. Our graduates are prepared to succeed, shaped by a compelling sense of place that endures forever in our alumni.
At the core of Colgate University is one of the most ambitious and relevant learning experiences in the country. Regardless of major, all students are taught to think critically, communicate powerfully, analyze other perspectives and solve complex problems. This foundational curriculum sets up students to develop as citizens and leaders who can engage thoughtfully and flourish in the careers that they want.
Our scale is unlike any in America. We are small enough for students to truly know their professors, yet large enough to support world-renowned scholars. We provide classes and majors not found at small liberal arts colleges.Undergraduates in every major undertake serious research here. Off-campus and international study options prevail. And all our classes are actually taught by leading faculty in their fields, not assistants. At Colgate, teaching is a clear priority. Our professors love it. Learning is personal here.
Colgate’s identity is defined, too, by how it feels here. The beauty of our campus invites you in. Set on a hillside of stately buildings and surrounded with a canopy of colorful trees, we are steeped in 200 years of history. At any moment you can find a place for quiet study, outdoor adventure, or the arts. The energy of this place is everywhere.We compete in Division I athletics, the highest level of collegiate sports. We have designed our residential living to ensure students from all over the world feel connected and share experiences. In the center of New York, in one of the friendliest towns in America, we offer the best of college life.
We know the choice of a college often comes down to fit, and at Colgate, you find it. Students share cherished traditions and form affections of community, supported by our exceptionally engaged alumni. You do not have to know what you will do with the rest of your life. Just know Colgate will prepare you for it.
Colgate is also a highly selective university. It is our mission to develop thinkers who value intellectual rigor and are capable of challenging themselves and others with vigor and reason. We choose sophisticated students who will grow in both confidence and humility, and who will seek a global perspective in shaping their own. Our students carry our values. And one day they carry the value of a Colgate degree, with its reputation of academic excellence that opens doors.
This is Colgate, a vibrant and welcoming place to learn, live and develop into who you are. Our university and our students are always ascending. And now, in our Bicentennial moment, Colgate is ever driven to be the best—one of the premier universities in the world, and the finest undergraduate institution in the nation.
Colgate's mission is to provide a demanding, expansive, educational experience to a select group of diverse, talented, intellectually sophisticated students who are capable of challenging themselves, their peers, and their teachers in a setting that brings together living and learning. The purpose of the university is to develop wise, thoughtful, critical thinkers and perceptive leaders by challenging young men and women to fulfill their potential through residence in a community that values intellectual rigor and respects the complexity of human understanding.
Colgate University is a small highly selective residential liberal arts college for men and women of talent who are preparing for lives of leadership and productive citizenship. The Colgate faculty is a community of scholars committed to teaching in the classroom, the laboratory, the studio, and the library. Teaching is Colgate's first responsibility, serving not only to transmit knowledge but also to transform and extend it through a demanding, imaginative curriculum. Faculty scholarship complements teaching as it advances knowledge. Colgate maintains that ideal size which allows students to work closely with the faculty; it is neither a giant research university nor a tiny liberal arts college. The dialogue between faculty and students provides exciting opportunities for independent work.
As a residential college, Colgate is committed to the belief that learning takes place in many settings. Learning must serve life, and the opportunity to live together in a variety of settings encourages interpersonal exploration, expands mutual understanding, and supports a broadened perspective within a caring, humane community. The residential community provides a setting in which students gain maturity by taking responsibility for their actions and by coming to understand the impact of those actions upon others in an environment that is neither permissive nor authoritarian, but conducive to purposeful engagement.
Colgate is an inclusive institution with diverse students and faculty. With a mission to educate leaders who will and must come from all societal groups, Colgate is committed to educate students to virtue and encourages them to respond openly and sensitively to others who are different from themselves. Within the limitations of its resources, Colgate extends opportunities to academically qualified students without regard to their ability to finance their education.
While we celebrate our diversity, we function as one institution. Although we work together for the success of the university, we also recognize that our differences enrich the experiences of all of us. Groups that lead a separate existence do not support the whole, and those who forsake their culture impoverish all, depriving us of the richness of America's cultural background. We celebrate that difficult balance between the commonalities of human experience and the particularities of our individual lives.
Please do not post:
Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.
Colgate was an excellent experience. It's rural and small town environment catered to individuals and ensured every student received specialized attention. Anyone focused on getting a great education, having the feeling of decent Division I sports, and social life while in the tranquil setting of upstate NY should definitely attend.
By Gino B. (Aug, 2011) |
Students here develop a bond for Colgate that runs deep, even after they graduate. After I graduate next month, I will be returning to Colgate to pursue my master of arts in teaching. It is a small program that is unique and very reputable. I am excited to come back to Colgate!!!
By Arias D. (Apr, 2011) |
I came to Colgate to be challenged and it has not disappointed me. I doubt anyone here would say that it has. The facilities are extraordinary and the professors are willing and helpful. I plan to go on to medical school and am confident that my courses and connections from Colgate will generate many opportunities for me in the future. It will be hard to leave...even all the snow!
By Language Jane (Jan, 2011) |
Colgate was the right place for me. As a fairly small 'ecosystem' that is frankly in the middle of nowhere (or close) you really need to define your space and actively make your experience. This is not LA, NY, Chicago, Boston etc (or even Ithaca) where there are lots of external events and stimuli. A good Colgate experience is probably going to revolve around people. The school was and probably is fairly homogeneous in most measurable ways but I found great diversity in points of view. I also found some really wonderful professors and yes, I had a lot of fun.
While there could have been other schools that were a great fit Colgate seems like a great balance - small enough to always find people you know, big enough there are always new people to connect with, strong academics but with a fun atmosphere.Would go there again or send my kids in a heartbeat!
By Arjay M. (Feb, 2010) |
I came to Colgate from over 1,000 miles away and didn't know a single other person in my freshman class. Since graduating in 2005, I've maintained some of the closest friendships I have ever had in my life with classmates from all over the country. I wouldn't trade in my experiences at Colgate for anything.
By Joy (Jun, 2007) |
Colgate's academic reputation definitely helped me get accepted to graduate school, but it did even more than that...it helped me get my teaching job because so many schools had heard of Colgate's teaching program and (small though it may be) Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Colgate grads who go into the teaching profession have a loyal network and make quite an impressive name for themselves. They represent Colgate well. I think I do, too, and my students now know hot great Colgate is because I won't let them forget it any time soon.
By Neil L (Feb, 2007) |
I'm convinced that I am getting just as good an education, if not better, here at Colgate than I would at any Ivy League school. I am also having a lot of fun here because there is always something to get involved in, from sports to volunteering to guest speakers to just sitting by the lake after class. The campus is absolutely beautiful and the village is a quaint, safe place to go to college. The students, faculty, and local residents provide a friendly sense of community. Not everyone feels this way about Colgate, but from my experiences this is a brief yet accurate description. I think Colgate students grow to appreciate and respect their time here and upon graduating, are very sad to leave such a great place.
By Fred L. (Dec, 2006) |
Colgate is giving me the chance to take great courses outside my major with amazing professors by using amazing technology in amazing facilities. There are tons of opportunities to volunteer - on campus, in the Hamilton community, and even globally - that are very popular. Study abroad has some of the most desirable places in the world to study and receives rave reviews. The close-knit atmosphere can feel crowded at first but you come to realize that it is a safe, beautiful place to be in order to get ready for life after Colgate.
By Chemistry Jack (Feb, 2006) |
What I like most about Colgate is that it's a school that is constantly trying to challenge and change itself for the better, and that will ultimately benefit its students. A good college will do that, even if it meets opposition, which it has done recently. Colgate's hilly campus is really amazing and is a place to let your mind go free. The professors want you to contribute in and out of class, even on special projects, so that you gain first-hand knowledge and experiences that you can apply and actually use after graduation.If you can get past some of Colgate's perceived weaknesses, such as drinking, snow, and a lack of city amenities, then your overall college experience will be very worthwhile.
By Roam John (Jun, 2005) |
Twitter
Colgate University has been a transformative experience for my daughter; the faculty's genuine dedication and the vibrant academic community have fueled her remarkable growth!
By Aya Nakamura (Jan, 2024) |