About Colgate

Welcome! I’m delighted that you are visiting our website to learn more about Colgate University.

Colgate is dedicated to helping students develop the habits of mind, skills, and

Rebecca S. Chopp was named president of Colgate University on July 1, 2002.

character that serve as preparation for any career and for lives as engaged citizens and leaders who build communities locally and internationally.

With 2,800 students and more than 250 faculty members, Colgate combines the intimacy of a liberal arts college with the depth and breadth of a research university.

We are small enough to be a real community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents, but large enough to offer more than 50 concentration programs in traditional departments and interdisciplinary fields.

For over 50 years we have offered an interdisciplinary core focusing on understanding culture -- both western and non-western -- and on the value of science. Our faculty members are award-winning teachers who are also distinguished scholars.

Many of the most exciting interactions between students and faculty occur outside of the traditional classroom. Colgate faculty lead two dozen off-campus study programs each year and act as mentors in an extensive program of joint student-faculty research.

Our extracurricular opportunities are also extraordinarily rich and varied. More than 100 campus organizations give our students countless opportunities to lead, to develop community-building skills, and to make life-long friends.

Our Division of Physical Education and Athletics offers opportunities ranging from Division I intercollegiate competition to outdoor education in the Adirondacks and the Chenango Valley.

We take pride in the diversity of our student body and are strongly committed to increasing that diversity in the coming years. Our students come from 50 states and 35 countries. African American, Latino, Asian, Native American constitute almost 24 percent of the entering class. We also value socioeconomic and intellectual diversity. We are committed to living and studying America’s democratic principles and practices.

This website is designed to help prospective students, alumni, parents and others discover Colgate. Go to the admissions page and take our virtual tour. Look through our courses of on-campus and off-campus study, libraries, museums, and centers. Browse our campus life page. Click on “Athletics” and view the range of opportunities available to the entire student body.

Our campus in the village of Hamilton, New York, is one of the most beautiful in America, as I hope you will see in the many images on our website.

If you are new to Colgate, I hope this virtual visit makes you want to come see us in person. If you already know Colgate, I hope you will visit this site often to stay up on the latest news from campus.

I consider Colgate the most selective liberal arts university in the country, combining academic excellence, civic engagement, and a wealth of extracurricular and residential opportunities.

Recognizing the strength of our curriculum, the American Association of Colleges and Universities designated us as a leadership school in their Great Expectations program. With scores of initiatives and programs such as the COVE (Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education), The Center for Ethics and World Societies, and varied options in residential living from traditional suites to theme houses to neighborhood commons, this is an exciting place to learn and grow.

Welcome to Colgate!