About SUNY Geneseo

Founded in 1871, SUNY Geneseo is a distinctive public liberal arts college. Nationally recognized for excellence and value in the liberal arts, Geneseo is known for its exceptional faculty, its welcoming atmosphere, and its reputation for producing successful alumni. Our supportive inclusive community provides an honors college experience that is exceptional in cultivating creativity, engagement, and discovery. 

Located on 220 acres in the historic Village of Geneseo, and a short drive from Rochester and Buffalo, Geneseo offers a warm environment for learning and discovery. The campus embodies the classic aesthetic of Northeastern colleges with brick walkways, shade trees, and ivy-draped buildings.

Student Profile

Incoming Class of 2022 Profile:

Applications: 9,833
Freshmen: 9,065
Transfer: 768
Graduate: 87

Incoming Students: 1,048
Undergraduate: 872
Transfer: 176
Graduate: 52

students

Academic Programs

52 undergraduate degree programs

61 interdisciplinary minors

graduate programs in accounting and education

There's No Place Like Geneseo

"Geneseo had every bit a role in who I am and where I am now. Wonderfully dedicated and patient faculty showed me that I could pursue whatever I was interested in -- and with their help and guidance, I did just that!"

- Laura Heimes, internationally acclaimed soprano and recording artist, Class of '90

Building Real-World Skills

54% of graduates completed internships

3,846 internships available through Geneseo's Dept. of Career Development

69.6% of Geneseo faculty reported having worked with undergraduates on research

Chemistry

Outcomes

Within a year, the Class of 2015:

48% working full-time or part-time

40% applied or accepted into graduate school or additional educational programs

10% seeking or undecided

2% volunteering

students hugging

Student Body

4,828 undergraduate 82 graduate

Geneseo's 4,910 students

are 18.6% multicultural

and hail from 21 states

and 13 countries

students in library

Honor Societies

Geneseo is one of only 286 four-year colleges in the nation to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the United States

Retention and Graduation

First-year Retention Rate of 85.0% (National average: 75.5%)

Six-year Graduation Rate of 78.13% (National average: 59.5%)

4-year graduation rate is number 11 nationally across public institutions, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education

Faculty and Instruction

90.7% of faculty hold a PhD or other terminal degree

1:18 faculty to student ratio

23 median class size

outdoor instruction

Science and Technology

SUNY Geneseo's $53 million Integrated Science Center includes the only Pelletron particle accelerator in Western New York.

physics student

The College is also among the nation’s top producers of bachelor’s degrees in physics, according to the American Institute of Physics.

Among primarily undergraduate institutions, SUNY Geneseo ranks in the top 10 nation­ally in the number of alumni with doctorates in STEM fields.

Athletics

Our Knights have won six State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Commissioner's Cups, including each of the last five.

Our teams have also finished within the top-20 in the Learfield Sports/NACDA Director's Cup standings each of the last five completed years of competition, including an all-time best 11th-place finish in 2018, and have won a total of 46 SUNYAC Championships since the Fall of 2016.

How Geneseo Ranks

#3 Top Public Schools (Regional North)

#2 Best Undergraduate Teaching

#14 Most Innovative Schools (Regional North)

#16 Best Regional Universities (North)

- U.S. News & World Report (2022 ranking)

2022 Fiske Guide - "Best and most interesting" college based on the quality of academic offerings and students' social and quality-of-life ratings

One of the "Best 387 Colleges in 2022" for students seeking a superb education with great career preparation at an affordable price

- 2022 Princeton Review College Guide

#5 among SUNYs
#115 among public and private colleges

- Forbes 2022 list for America's Best College Values

Featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges 2022 Edition as one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges

#1 among 616 master's universities in the nation for contributions to the public good - Washington Monthly Magazine

student research

Top Producer of U.S. Student Fulbright Awards - The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

See more Geneseo rankings

Learn More

Discover why there's no place like Geneseo.

See for Yourself

Tours of the Geneseo campus are available every weekday throughout the year and on most Saturdays. To sign up for a tour, register online through the link below or call the Admissions Office at (866) 245-5211.

SUNY Geneseo is accredited by the Middle States Commission of Higher Education, with additional accreditations awarded to the School of Business and Ella Cline Shear School of Education. A full list of accreditations can be found on Geneseo's college information page.