Siena College

Founded in 1937, Siena College is a private, Catholic Franciscan, residential, liberal arts college with a student body of about 3,000. Siena College offers 30 degree programs, 45 minors and certificate programs, and professional curricula in teacher preparation/education, pre-medical, pre-law and social work. The college is organized into three colleges Liberal Arts, Business and Science. Admission to the College is competitive.

Located in Loudonville, N.Y., the 174-acre, park-like campus is two miles from Albany, the capital of New York State. Excellent facilities include comfortable residence halls, 24-hour computer labs, Standish Library, state-of-the-art Hickey Financial Technology Center, a newly-renovated dining hall and Morrell Science Center. A student-to-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, average class size of 21, rigorous academics, Division I athletics, intramural sports and widespread service and advocacy experiences nurture each student’s personal growth while providing the education of a lifetime. A broad perspective and career preparation is emphasized through internships, study abroad programs and student activities.

When you imagine college, academics certainly aren’t the only thing that comes to mind. For details on the food, the clubs, athletics, service opportunities and more, you’re in the right place. Life here is fulfilling and a lot of fun. Like we say, every day, it’s a good day to be a Saint.

Pick any discipline you want—from marketing to medicine, engineering to law, accounting to computer science, criminal justice to education. Siena offers 100% faculty-taught classes and the courses and experiences to actively make your personal and professional dreams happen. And because we live and learn in the heart of one of the best markets for job creation, Saints get career, research, service and entrepreneurial experience now, not later.

With 36 majors and 80+ minors, certificates and concentrations to choose from, you'll find countless ways to pursue your interests.

Saints know an education isn't just something you get, it's something you get to do. From internships to research to service projects and more, Siena takes hands-on to the next level. And when it comes to your future, that makes all the difference.

Siena provides support services focused on your individual needs to make sure you're set up not only for academic success, but a lifetime of professional and personal achievement. At Siena, it’s 14 courses in the liberal arts and a gateway to the world’s most fascinating figures, brilliant minds, and thought-provoking concepts. More than that, our core curriculum prepares you to be a critical thinker, effective communicator, and well-rounded professional—the exact qualities employers say they value the most.

Siena’s core curriculum—courses every Siena student takes—includes seminars and classes in creative arts, English, history, natural science, philosophy, religious studies, quantitative analysis, and social science. And because Siena College is grounded in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, our core curriculum is held to high intellectual and ethical standards. That means you’ll also take courses in Franciscan heritage, diversity, social justice, and nature—topics that contribute to and help us achieve happiness and a just society.

We believe an education should be something you get to do, not just something you get. Through Siena’s unique centers and study abroad opportunities, through high-impact research projects with professors, using equipment few other colleges have and interning at top companies and startups, Siena students dig in and stand out.

Siena's Office of Internship Programs works one-on-one with our Saints during the entire internship process - from the search for a site all the way to the final days of work in the site's office. The Office works with employers from an array of industries, ensuring that students are matched with the industry that works for their career aspirations.

Siena Abroad provides students in all majors the opportunity to study abroad in 55 countries around the world. Through semester, year-long, short-term, and post-graduate opportunities, students pursue international internships, do original research, engage in meaningful service learning, and form lasting bonds and friendships - all while gaining a greater understanding of themselves and the world, and developing a professional edge for their future.

The Standish Honors Program expands opportunities to develop critical and creative thinking; to gather, synthesize, and analyze evidence in making reasoned and informed judgments; to appreciate cultural diversity; and to enhance written and oral communication skills. The Standish Honors Program deepens the Siena experience through personal interaction with faculty and staff both inside and outside of the classroom.

At Siena, honors work is a different kind of work. It requires our Saints to take responsibility for their education, develop intellectual curiosity, participate in in-depth research, inquiry, and study.

Top tech CEOs and leaders nationwide have come out and said that grads from liberal arts schools have what they need— knowledge, vision, empathy, listening and creativity skills that come from studying a broad range of topics. But career success isn’t the only reason Siena values this approach to learning. We want you to be able to create an academic experience that addresses all of your interests and to be prepared for all areas of your life, wise well beyond your years.

Every freshman enrolls in a First-Year Seminar (FYS), a two-semester, writing-intensive course that prepares them for the intellectual life of college. Themes change every year, but examples include “Superheroes and Us,” “From Story to Screen” and “Nerd Knowledge and Geek Chic.”