Colgate University

Colgate University logo
#579 / #178
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#42
Most Desirable School
Private liberal arts college

Colgate University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#178
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
14%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$73,646
Graduation rate
89%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
3,180

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Colgate University Featured Rankings

About Colgate University

According to Wikipedia, Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theological and Literary Institution, often called Hamilton College , then Madison College , and its present name since 1890.

Colgate University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
21,13014%93%89%148533

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Colgate University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$73,646
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$8,610
30K - 48K$7,748
48K - 75K$15,150
75K - 110K$26,968
110K+$49,725

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Colgate University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Colgate University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $96,328 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Colgate University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
3,2243,20618

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Colgate University?

Colgate University is located at 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346-1398.

How Safe is Colgate University?

Relative to its enrollment, Colgate University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.12%. Hamilton has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is Colgate University Known For?

Colgate University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Colgate University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Colgate University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Philosophy
#356
World Rank
#400
Historical Rank
#113
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #113 in the U.S. and #356 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Literature
#346
World Rank
#398
Historical Rank
#123
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #123 in the U.S. and #346 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Anthropology
#377
World Rank
#401
Historical Rank
#130
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #130 in the U.S. and #377 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Political Science
#564
World Rank
#567
Historical Rank
#142
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #142 in the U.S. and #564 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Economics
#685
World Rank
#697
Historical Rank
#156
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #156 in the U.S. and #685 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Religious Studies
#738
World Rank
#724
Historical Rank
#164
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #164 in the U.S. and #738 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Sociology
#596
World Rank
#593
Historical Rank
#165
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #165 in the U.S. and #596 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Education
#639
World Rank
#642
Historical Rank
#170
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #170 in the U.S. and #639 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
History
#515
World Rank
#528
Historical Rank
#176
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #176 in the U.S. and #515 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Earth Sciences
#725
World Rank
#576
Historical Rank
#177
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #177 in the U.S. and #725 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.

earth-science Degrees
Physics
#768
World Rank
#765
Historical Rank
#182
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #182 in the U.S. and #768 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Biology
#668
World Rank
#573
Historical Rank
#187
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #187 in the U.S. and #668 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Psychology
#490
World Rank
#417
Historical Rank
#203
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #203 in the U.S. and #490 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Chemistry
#1134
World Rank
#1158
Historical Rank
#235
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #235 in the U.S. and #1134 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Computer Science
#980
World Rank
#983
Historical Rank
#246
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #246 in the U.S. and #980 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Mathematics
#1099
World Rank
#1046
Historical Rank
#277
USA Rank

Colgate University ranks #277 in the U.S. and #1099 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees

Who Are Colgate University's Most Influential Alumni?

Colgate University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Philosophy, and Anthropology. Here are some of Colgate University's most famous alumni:

Oswald Avery
Oswald Avery
A Canadian-born American physician and medical researcher.
Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges
An American journalist.
Robert Audi
An American philosopher.
Richard B. Spencer
Richard B. Spencer
An American white supremacist .
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
A Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941.
Geoffrey R. Stone
An American legal scholar.
Charles Addams
Charles Addams
An American cartoonist .
Kevin Padian
An American paleontologist .
Neil Shubin
Neil Shubin
An American paleontologist.
John Miles Foley
John Miles Foley
An American literary scholar .
Charles Doolittle Walcott
Charles Doolittle Walcott
An American paleontologist and 4th Secretary of the Smithsonian .
Albert Allen Bartlett
Albert Allen Bartlett
A Professor of Physics .

Who Are Colgate University's Most Influential Faculty?

Colgate University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Philosophy, and Anthropology. Here are some of Colgate University's most famous faculty:

Omid Safi
An American academic.
Anthony Veasna So
An American author.
Cary Peppermint
Cary Peppermint
An American artist.
Jennifer Vanderbes
An American novelist.
Blaise MacDonald
A College ice hockey coach.