Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · founded 1819 · 3,150 students · liberal arts college · Patriot League

Known for: Colgate University is a highly ranked liberal arts university known for its beautiful campus, strong programs in the natural sciences and economics, and a vibrant Division I athletics program, particularly in ice hockey and lacrosse.

Rankings

U.S. News liberal arts: #17
Forbes: #98

Top programmes

Economics
Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry)
Political Science
English
History

Notable alumni

Andy Rooney — CBS '60 Minutes' commentator
John Hurley — President of Colgate University
Michael J. Fox — Actor (attended briefly)
Charles Evans Hughes — Chief Justice of the United States
William C. Dudley — Former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Traditions

Torchlight Ceremony (for first-years and seniors)
Winterfest
Spring Party Weekend
Colgate Thirteen concerts

If Colgate University were…

As a food: Dry-aged ribeye at a country club steakhouse — Premium, traditional, unapologetically indulgent, and served in a setting where everyone knows the dress code—Colgate is preppy, polished, and proud of it.
As an athlete: Tom Brady — Classic, winning, team-oriented, and thriving within a traditional system—Colgate students are competitive, conventional, and consistently successful through established pathways.
As a person alive today: Anderson Cooper — Polished, well-connected, Ivy-adjacent pedigree, and successful within mainstream institutions—Colgate grads fit seamlessly into elite professional networks.
As a historical figure: Theodore Roosevelt — Outdoorsy, vigorous, privileged background but rugged sensibility, and a believer in the strenuous life—Colgate blends preppy tradition with genuine love of nature and athletics.
As a movie or TV show: Animal House — Greek life, party culture, beautiful campus, and a social scene where fraternities and sororities dominate—Colgate is the LAC version of the classic college movie.
As a US president: George H.W. Bush — Preppy, traditional, well-connected, athletic (played baseball at Yale), and successful through establishment networks and old-money sensibility.
As a city: Greenwich, Connecticut — Wealthy, preppy, traditional, beautiful, and a pipeline to Wall Street and elite professional life—Colgate's vibe is country club meets liberal arts.
As an element: Silver — Precious, polished, traditional luxury, and highly conductive—Colgate connects you to elite networks and conducts success through established channels.
As a car: Range Rover Sport HSE — Preppy upstate New York party wagon with enough cargo space for beer pong tables and lacrosse gear. Colgate's sporty, traditional crowd needs British luxury that says 'my parents have a lake house' while navigating Hamil

Campus life

Colgate offers a classic residential college experience with a strong social scene centered around Greek life, athletics, and campus-wide events. The remote location in central New York fosters a tight-knit, active campus community.