State University of New York at Geneseo
Public university in Geneseo, New York, US

State University of New York College at Geneseo
Former name
Wadsworth Normal and Training School (1867–1871)
Geneseo Normal and Training School (1871–1905)
Geneseo Normal School (1905–1942)
Geneseo State Teachers College (1942–1948)
State University of New York Teachers College at Geneseo (1948–1962)[1]
MottoTo Learn, To Search, To Serve (SUNY motto)
TypePublic liberal arts college
Established1867; 159 years ago (1867)
Parent institution
State University of New York
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
Endowment$31.4 million (2019)[2]
PresidentMelinda Treadwell
ProvostMary C. Toale
Academic staff
241 (92% full-time)[3]
Students4,910 (2021)[4]
Undergraduates4,828 (2021)[4]
Postgraduates82 (2021)[4]
Location
Geneseo
,
New York
,
United States
CampusRural (small town) 220 acres (0.89 km2)
ColorsBlue and Gray    [5]
NicknameKnights
MascotVictor E. Knight
Websitegeneseo.edu

The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo, New York, United States. It is the state's public honors college and part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The college was founded in 1867 as the "Wadsworth Normal and Training School" before it became part of the new State University of New York system as a state liberal arts college in 1948.[6]

History

Wadsworth School, c. 1904

The initial predecessor to SUNY Geneseo opened in 1867 as the "Wadsworth Normal and Training School" through an act of the New York State Legislature. However, the legislature later changed the new college's name to the Geneseo Normal and Training School before it officially opened on September 13, 1871.[7]

In 1962, the school adopted its current name, "State University of New York College at Geneseo". Just two years later, in 1964, the school began to offer four-year bachelor's degrees in subjects other than education.[8]

Academics

Milne Library.

Geneseo is a public liberal arts college with 61 undergraduate majors, 5 master's programs, and 67 interdisciplinary minors. The most popular majors, in descending order, are education, business, the social sciences, biology, and psychology.[9]

Geneseo is part of the New York Space Grant Consortium,[10] and is provided grants by NASA to support outer-space related research on-campus..

Administration

Sturges Hall is Geneseo's landmark building, featuring a clocktower and carillon.

Following the retirement of long-time president Christopher Dahl, Denise Battles became the college's president in July 2015.[11] Melinda Treadwell assumed the role on October 27, 2025.[12]

Rankings and admissions

Academic rankings
Master's
Washington Monthly[13]1
Regional
U.S. News & World Report[14]12
National
Forbes[15]156

Admissions

Geneseo's acceptance rate is 65% was of 2021.[16]

Rankings

Forbes ranked SUNY Geneseo 156th out of the top 500 rated private and public colleges and universities in America for the 2024–25 report. Geneseo was also ranked 69th among public colleges and 66th in the northeast.[17]

Phi Beta Kappa

Geneseo has a chapter of the oldest academic honor society in the United States, Phi Beta Kappa.[18] SUNY's four university centers already had chapters; Geneseo's establishment of a chapter is significant because it was the first (and is currently the only) of New York's thirteen state comprehensive colleges to receive the honor.[19]

The inaugural ΦΒΚ class was inducted to Geneseo's Alpha-Gamma of New York chapter in April 2004.[18]

Campus

The Integrated Science Center opened in Fall 2006. In the foreground is the college green.
President Christopher Dahl cuts the ribbon on Geneseo's 1.7 MeV tandem Pelletron particle accelerator.

At the far end of the South Village Residences, the college maintains the 20-acre (81,000 m2) Spencer J. Roemer Arboretum wherein are preserved "more than 70 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, including a magnificent group of oak trees which are more than 200 years old, and several black walnut trees estimated to be over 100 years old."[20]

Student life

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023[21]
Race and ethnicity Total
White 82%
 
Hispanic 7%
 
Black 4%
 
Asian 3%
 
Unknown 3%
 
International student 1%
 
Two or more races 1%
 
Economic diversity
Low-income[a] 26%
 
Affluent[b] 74%
 

Greek life began at Geneseo in 1871, originally as literary societies. The college hosts several local Greek organizations along with national organizations, as is common in the SUNY schools. As of 2019, about 30% of students were active in either social or professional and service Greek organizations.[22]

Athletics

The University athletics team (nicknamed the Knights) are composed of 19 varsity teams (7 men's, 12 women's). All teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and all teams compete in the Empire 8 conference.[23] In men's ice hockey the Geneseo Knights are known as the "Geneseo Ice Knights".

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni

Entertainment

Academia

Sciences

Government, business, law, activist

Military

Sports

Faculty

Notes

  1. ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
  2. ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

References

  1. ^ "1941-1950 – SUNY Geneseo's 150th Anniversary". State University of New York College at Geneseo. 2021-05-27. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  2. ^ SUNY at Geneseo usnews.com
  3. ^ "Fast Facts - SUNY Geneseo". www.geneseo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "About Geneseo".
  5. ^ Visual style guide geneseo.edu
  6. ^ "Timeline – SUNY Geneseo's 150th Anniversary". State University of New York College at Geneseo. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  7. ^ "SUNY Geneseo @ A Glance". bulletin.geneseo.edu. SUNY Geneseo. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  8. ^ "State University of New York at Geneseo: Fact Book" (PDF). www.geneseo.edu. SUNY Geneseo. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  9. ^ "State University of New York College at Geneseo". College Board. 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  10. ^ "New York Space Grant Community College Partnership Program". Cornell University. 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  11. ^ "About Denise A. Battles". SUNY Geneseo. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  12. ^ "Melinda Treadwell Appointed 14th President of SUNY Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo". www.geneseo.edu. 2025-09-16. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  13. ^ "2025 Master's Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  14. ^ "2025-2026 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  15. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2025". Forbes. August 26, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  16. ^ SUNY Geneseo usnews.rankingsandreviews.com Archived 2015-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "SUNY, Geneseo". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  18. ^ a b "Chapter Chronology". Phi Beta Kappa society. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
  19. ^ "Geneseo Faculty Granted Charter for Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at the College" (Press release). SUNY Geneseo. 2003-08-26.
  20. ^ "Roemer Arboretum". arboretum.geneseo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  21. ^ "College Scorecard: SUNY College at Geneseo". College Scorecard. United States Department of Education. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  22. ^ "Quick Facts about Geneseo Greek Life". SUNY Geneseo. 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  23. ^ "About Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo". www.geneseo.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  24. ^ "They Call Me Q - 60 minutes .... 13 characters...1 woman". Tennessee State University. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  25. ^ "Marissa Mulder: In her own words SUNY Geneseo grad makes cabaret cool". 18 January 2017.
  26. ^ "CGP Grey Tweet Confirming Attendance at SUNY Geneseo". Twitter. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  27. ^ Grey, C. G. P. (2009-07-05), everything I own, retrieved 2019-03-09
  28. ^ Mather, Frank Lincoln (1915). "Amiger, William Thomas". Who's Who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent. Vol. 1. pp. 6–7.
  29. ^ Who's Who in Colored America. Who's Who in Colored America Corporation. 1927. p. 4 – via Google Books.
  30. ^ "Brian L. DeMarco". Faculty profiles. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  31. ^ "Myhang V. Huynh". scientist profiles. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 2007-10-02. [permanent dead link]
  32. ^ "Liz Allen - Harris for President | LinkedIn".
  33. ^ "Jeff Clarke '83 Named Kodak CEO | SUNY Geneseo". www.geneseo.edu. 2014-03-14. Archived from the original on 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2015-04-11.
  34. ^ "Kodak names Clarke new CEO". USA Today. 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2015-04-11.
  35. ^ "David Klein, Constellation Brands". CNBC. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  36. ^ "Joseph D Morelle - Biography". New York State Assembly. Archived from the original on 2016-11-14. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  37. ^ "East Wing Shakeup as First Lady Gets New Chief of Staff". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012.
  38. ^ Men and Women of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries. New York, NY: L. R. Hamersly & Company. 1910. p. 316 – via Google Books.
  39. ^ "David Maslanka Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). 2014-09-12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  40. ^ "News Center – SUNY Geneseo". www.geneseo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
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