Private nonprofit · University

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York · Distant rural

13.9%
Admit rate
$28,786
Avg net price
91%
Graduation rate
$85,139
Median earnings

Colgate University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Hamilton, New York (distant rural setting), enrolling 3,180 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,180 undergradsDistant ruralHighly selective · 14% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Patriot LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Colgate University's admitted students.

Admit rate
13.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1430–1540
Avg GPA
3.85

Enter a test score to see where you land against Colgate University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Colgate University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Hamilton, New York

Hamilton is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The location was formerly called "Payne's Corners". The town of Hamilton was established in 1795, before the county was formed, from the town of Paris in Oneida County. The original town was reduced to create new towns in the county. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
35 miles to Syracuse, NY
To Great Lakes shore
61 miles
Nearest airport
35 miles to Syracuse Hancock (SYR) · major hub

How Colgate University compares

Selectivity13.9%

More selective than 97% · #8 most selective of 137 in New York

SAT average1508

Higher than 96%

Graduation rate91%

Higher than 96% · #6 of 159 in New York

First-year retention93%

Higher than 91%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$85,139

Higher than 94% · #16 of 133 in New York

Average net price$28,786

Cheaper than 19% · #110 cheapest of 153 in New York

Median debt at graduation$15,000

Lower than 90%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment3,180

Larger than 70%

Percentiles compare Colgate University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New York.

Colgate University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,198students
  • Undergraduate3,18099%
  • Graduate181%

Undergraduates by gender

3,180undergrads
  • Women1,83358%
  • Men1,34742%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White64%
  • Black4.3%
  • Hispanic9.6%
  • Asian5.3%
  • Other or multiracial17%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,180
Graduate enrollment
18
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
13%
First-generation students
18%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$76,732
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$117,882
Endowment
$1,254,676,903

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 807 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New York22%
  • Other U.S. states69%
  • International8.9%

A national draw — only 22% of first-years come from New York; 69% arrive from other states.

9% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
13.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1430–1540
SAT average
1508
SAT reading
710–760
SAT math
720–780
ACT composite
33–34
Average GPA
3.85

Cost

In-state tuition
$70,306
Room & board
$17,610
Books & supplies
$1,570
Total cost of attendance
$87,070
Average net price
$28,786

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
91%
Graduated on time (4 years)
85%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
7%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$64,949
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$85,139
Median debt at graduation
$15,000
Students with federal loans
12%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
82%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
85%
Low-income (Pell)
88%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,958
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
93%
Housing charge (year)
$8,108
Meal plan (year)
$8,682
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Patriot League
Varsity athletes
774 (418 men · 356 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)233
Football98
Lacrosse93
Swimming and Diving (combined)60
Soccer58
Rowing53
Ice Hockey49
Basketball31
Field Hockey27
Tennis23
Volleyball22
Softball18
Golf9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
12
Property offenses (2022–2024)
21

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,211 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

11reported offenses a year
4.0 violent a year7.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
6.3
Rape
3.0
Fondling
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$6,086
$30–48k
$2,678
$48–75k
$13,617
$75–110k
$21,831
$110k+
$48,234

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$55,870

$13,617/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

43%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$55,010
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 43% — get grant money from Colgate University itself, averaging $55,010, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 812 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$85,139
Typical debt at graduation
$15,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
18%
Out-earn a HS grad
79%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$83,809
Men
$91,328

Men out-earn women by $7,519 (9%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
77°F
Winter low
11°F
Annual rain
48.1″
Annual snow
77.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Morrisville 6 SW, NY US station (9.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Colgate University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Colgate University side by side →

Colleges near Colgate University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.