Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton , New York , USA . The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non - denominational . It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university ' s endowment in the 19th century . Colgate has 52 undergraduate concentrations that culminate in a Bachelor of Arts degree . The student body comes from 47 states and 42 countries . In its 2013 edition , " U . S . News and World Report " ranked Colgate as the 18th best liberal arts college in the country . Colgate ranked 37th in the 2011 edition of " America ' s Best Colleges " from Forbes . com . It is also listed as one of thirty and as one of " Newsweek " ' s " New Ivies " . Colgate is located on a rural 515 acre ( 2 . 08 km² ) campus in Central New York . Despite an undergraduate population of only 2 , 800 , Colgate is a member of the Patriot League conference of the NCAA Division I . History . In 1817 , the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York was founded by thirteen men ( six clergymen and seven laymen ) . Two years later , in 1819 , the state granted the school ' s charter , and the school opened a year later , in 1820 . The first classes were held in a building in the town of Hamilton . Three years later , in 1823 , the Baptist Theological Seminary at New York City incorporated with the Baptist Education Society and subsequently changed its name to the Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution . Among the trustees was William Colgate , founder of a soap company . In 1826 , the school ' s trustees bought farmland that later became the focal point of the campus , known as ' the Hill ' . One year later , the current students and faculty of the school built West Hall , using stone taken from a quarry found on the land . Originally called West Edifice before being renamed to West Hall , it is the oldest structure on campus . In 1846 , the school changed its name to Madison University . In 1850 , the Baptist Education Society planned to move the university to Rochester , but was halted by legal action . Dissenting trustees , faculty , and students founded the University of Rochester . In 1890 , Madison University changed its name to Colgate University in recognition of the family and its gifts to the school . James B . Colgate , one of William Colgate ' s sons , established a $ 1 , 000 , 000 endowment called the Dodge Memorial Fund . The theological side of Colgate merged with the Rochester Theological Seminary in 1928 to become the Colgate Rochester Divinity School , leaving Colgate to become non - denominational . Colgate became coeducational in 1970 . Campus . Colgate University is located in the rural village of Hamilton , New York . The campus itself is situated on of land . The university owns an additional of undeveloped forested lands . Colgate ' s first building , West Hall , was built by students and faculty from stones from Colgate ' s own rock quarry . Nearly all the buildings on campus are built of stone , and newer buildings are built with materials that fit the style . Probably the most distinctive building on campus is the Chapel ( Colgate Memorial Chapel ) , which was built in 1918 and is used for lectures , performances , concerts , and religious services . Old Biology Hall was built in 1884 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 . The university ' s campus was ranked as the most beautiful by The Princeton Review in their 2010 edition . In July 2008 , Colgate was named fifth on Forbes ' list of Top Colleges for Getting Rich , the only non - Ivy League college in the top 5 . Colgate is listed as one of America ' s 25 " new Ivies " by " Newsweek " magazine . It is also on the list of " 100 best campuses for LGBT students . " In October 2006 , Colgate was ranked as the second most fit college in America by " Men ' s Fitness " . Colgate has been ranked third by the " Journal of Blacks in Higher Education " for its success in integrating African - American students . Most of the campus ' s heat is generated from a wood boiler which burns wood chips , a renewable resource . Since the heating facility is fueled by biomass , it produces zero net carbon emissions . Almost all of Colgate ' s electricity comes from a hydroelectric dam at Niagara Falls ; the rest comes from nuclear sources . The campus also has a Green Bikes program with over two dozen bikes that are loaned out in an effort to encourage students to rely less on cars . Colgate Dining Services currently provides organic rice , beans , and other dry foods , and is working to offer more local foods options . Dining Services take - out containers are also made from natural materials , and are compostable . On the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card , Colgate earned a C , which was a great improvement from the previous year , when the school earned a D + . In 2010 Colgate improved to a B , and the administration continues to promote sustainability . Outreach . Colgate founded the Upstate Institute in 2003 . The Institute was created to connect the Colgate community to its surrounding region , as well as to give back and help economically and socially sustain the area . Currently , they do research on counties in the area , as well as support outreach and volunteer organizations . Colgate was an initial sponsor of Partnership for Community Development , a local nonprofit organization which seeks to support the community through revitalization of buildings and small business development . Academics and administration . Colgate offers 52 undergraduate concentration s leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree , all of which are registered officially with the New York State Department of Education . The university also has a small graduate ( Master of Arts ) program for Education , which graduates 3 - 7 students each year . In addition to regular campus courses , the university offers 22 semester - long off - campus study groups each year , including programs in Australia , China , Japan , India , several Western European countries , Washington , DC , and the National Institutes of Health . Approximately two - thirds of Colgate undergraduates study abroad , which is a high proportion compared to other colleges and universities in the United States . About 95 % of seniors graduate and most alumni proceed to graduate schools in law , administration , engineering , medicine , the arts and the sciences , as well as to financial , administrative or scientific occupations . Admissions . Students apply to Colgate from all over the world : most recently from all 50 states , D . C . , and 127 countries . According to Newsweek , Colgate competes most commonly with Cornell , Dartmouth , Middlebury , and Georgetown for students . For the class of 2016 , 7 , 798 students applied , and 29 % of applicants were admitted . Admitted students had an average GPA of 3 . 76 ( out of 4 . 0 ) and an average SAT score of 660 - 740 cr ; 670 – 750 m . Of those admitted , 80 % in top 10 % of their class , and 93 % were in the top 20 % . International students comprise 8 % of the most recent entering class . Board of Trustees . Colgate is governed by a Board of Trustees that is composed of 35 members : 31 are alumni of the university , 3 are parents of students , and the current president . As of September 30 , 2012 , Colgate ' s endowment was $ 708 million . Student life . Housing and student life facilities . Colgate has ten residence halls located on its central campus , which is often referred to as " up the hill . " Located near the academic buildings , freshmen live in six of these halls , whereas sophomores live in the other four , or in townhouses or one house on Broad Street . Juniors and seniors live down the hill in a number of residences , such as theme houses on Broad Street , apartment complexes or in " townhouses " located further away from campus . Themed houses are available for students who want to explore their interests . The Creative Arts house is geared towards creative students ; Asia House is for students with interests in Asian culture . Although the university provides housing for students all four years , students can apply for off - campus housing , of which only 250 are granted the privilege through a lottery . Students involved in Greek life have the option of living in their organization ' s house , though they cannot do so until their junior year . Colgate has three dining facilities on campus that are run by Colgate Dining Services , which in turn is run by Sodexho . There is also a cafe located in Case Library that serves Starbucks coffee . The O ' Connor Campus Center , commonly referred to as the Coop , serves as the center for student life and programming . Renovations on it were completed in 2004 , and it now houses the offices for student organizations , a cafeteria , post office , printing center , a computer facility , as well as the new Blackmore Media Center , home to WRCU , Colgate ' s radio station . Fraternities , sororities , and social life . About forty - five percent of sophomores , juniors and seniors belong to fraternities or sororities at Colgate . Students are not allowed to pledge until the fall semester of their sophomore year . As of 2009 , there are six fraternities ( Beta Theta Pi , Delta Upsilon , Theta Chi , Sigma Chi , Phi Delta Theta , and Phi Kappa Tau ) and three sororities ( Gamma Phi Beta , Delta Delta Delta , and Kappa Kappa Gamma ) that are active on campus . Following a number of incidents related to fraternities and sororities on campus , in 2005 , the university decided to purchase the Greek houses . All but one of them agreed to sell their houses . The hold - out , Delta Kappa Epsilon , was subsequently derecognized . Students were forbidden from living in the house ( which is now school - owned housing ) or participating in the fraternity ' s activities . Student groups . Colgate has more than 180 student groups and organizations . The groups cover a wide array of interests , including academic organizations , personal interests , student government , honor societies , and cultural and religious organizations . Among its more notable groups are the a cappella groups The Colgate Thirteen , The Colgate Resolutions , The Swinging ' Gates , and The Dischords , and the improv group Charred Goosebeak , the latter of which was founded by the members of Broken Lizard . Many students can also be seen performing at the Barge Canal Coffee Shop in the village on special " open - mic " nights . Media . WRCU is Colgate University ' s student - operated radio station , broadcasting through central New York on 90 . 1 FM . Colgate ' s student run TV station , CUTV , broadcasts on the university ' s local cable system and provides a mix of student created content and first run movies 24 hours a day . " The Colgate Maroon - News " , is the oldest college weekly in America . The first student newspaper was the Hamilton Student , launched on November 2 , 1846 . " The Monthly Rag " , the college ' s satirical newspaper , was founded in 2007 . Its slogan is , " written by 13 writers with 13 stories after 13 beers " . The Colgate Scene is the quarterly Alumni publication . Traditions . The number 13 is considered to be lucky to Colgate . It is said that Colgate was founded by thirteen men with thirteen dollars and thirteen prayers . This tradition is expressed in many ways . Colgate ' s address is 13 Oak Drive , and its zip code is 13346 , which begins with 13 and ends with three digits that sum to 13 . Konosioni , the senior honor society , is composed of thirteen men and thirteen women . Alumni wear Colgate apparel on every Friday the 13th , which is designated as Colgate Day . In 1936 , the Colgate swim team made its first trip to Fort Lauderdale , Florida for spring break training at the Casino Pool . This became a regular tradition for Colgate that caught on with other schools across the country , and proved to be the genesis of the college spring break trip . Controversies . Ellis Island National Monument displays an anti - immigration statement by George Barton Cutten , Colgate ' s eighth President , warning that " The danger the ' melting pot ' brings to the nation is the breeding out of the higher divisions of the white race . . . " The topic of how to come to grips with the legacy of a former university president who espoused such views , but also presided over a long period of expansion for the University , has been a topic of debate at Colgate in recent years . Athletics . Approximately 25 % of students are involved in a varsity sport , and 80 % of students are involved in some form of varsity , club , or intramural athletics . There are 25 varsity teams , over 40 club sports teams , and 18 different intramural sports . Colgate is part of NCAA Division I for all varsity sports . The football program competes within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision ( FCS ) . The athletic teams are nicknamed the " Raiders , " and the traditional team colors are maroon and white , with a more recent addition of gray in the 1970s . Maroon replaced orange as the school ' s primary color on March 24 , 1900 . Colgate is a member of the Patriot League for all varsity sports except for hockey , in which both its men ' s and women ' s teams are members of ECAC Hockey . Starting in 1932 , Colgate athletics teams were called the " Red Raiders " in reference to the new maroon uniforms of that season ' s " undefeated , untied , unscored upon , and uninvited " football team , which was the first to use the moniker . Apocryphal explanations for the name include the team ' s ability to defeat its much larger rival , the Cornell University Big Red , or that a rainstorm caused one Colgate football team ' s maroon jerseys to blend into a reddish color . Regardless , after the adoption of a Native American mascot , the school debated changing the name and mascot in the 1970s out of sensitivity to Native Americans . At that time the nickname was retained , but the mascot was changed to a hand holding a torch . In 2001 , the administration acknowledged concerns that the adjective " Red " still had an American Indian implication , and the school shortened the nickname to the " Raiders " starting in the 2001 - 02 school year . Some local TV outlets still use the logo with " Red Raiders " on it . A new mascot was introduced in 2006 . Colgate University ' s football was given a Division I first place ranking by Parke H . Davis in 1916 and 1932 , and appeared in the Associated Press Division I polls in 1942 and 1977 . The 1932 team was " unbeaten , untied , unscored upon , and uninvited " , as it registered shutouts against all nine opponents , but was not invited to the 1933 Rose Bowl . Colgate began playing in NCAA Division I - AA , now known as Division I FCS , in 1982 , and made the Division I - AA ( now FCS ) football playoffs in 1982 , 1983 , 1997 , 1998 , 1999 , 2003 , 2005 , 2008 , and 2012 . In the 2003 season , the Raiders made it to the NCAA I - AA championship game in football for the first time , where they lost to the University of Delaware . At the end of the season , their record was 15 - 1 . At the time , they had the longest winning streak in all of Division I football , including one win over a Division I - A ( now Division I FBS ) team , Buffalo . Cornell is a common rival in all sports ; hockey games against Cornell are major events on campus , with students lining up for hours before the game in order to secure tickets . Colgate ' s teams ( with the exception of football , golf , and men ' s hockey ) also compete annually against Syracuse University . Cornell and Syracuse are both within two hours of Colgate ' s campus . Colgate and Syracuse were once bitter rivals in football ( there are some old traditions related to their games ) , but a variety of factors , including the splitting of Division I football into Division I FBS and Division I FCS in the late 1970s , helped end the annual game , with some exceptions ( such as 2010 ) over the years . Their men ' s lacrosse rivalry remains fierce . Outdoor education . Colgate makes use of its rural location by having a full outdoor education program . A Base Camp is located on campus and allows students to rent equipment for skiing , camping , and other outdoor events . Each year , twelve to fifteen students are selected to become staffers for Outdoor Education . The training takes more than six months and includes a Wilderness First Responder certification . Incoming first - year students are offered a week - long trip called Wilderness Adventure , where they spend a week backpacking , canoeing , kayaking , tree climbing , caving or rock climbing in the Adirondacks . World War II . During World War II , Colgate University was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission . Alumni . Colgate has more than 34 , 000 living alumni . Colgate alumni have a median starting salary of $ 48 , 700 and have a median mid - career salary of $ 119 , 000 . Among small schools , Colgate is the 10th largest producer of alumni who go onto the Peace Corps . Alumni in journalism include Howard Fineman , the Chief Political Correspondent of " Newsweek " , Andy Rooney , Monica Crowley , Chris Hedges , and Bob Woodruff . In the entertainment industry , Colgate alumni include Ted Griffin , writer of the 2001 version of " Ocean ' s Eleven " , Chris Paine , director of " Who Killed the Electric Car ? " , filmmakers Ralph Arlyck and Joe Berlinger , and all five members of Broken Lizard , the comedy troupe behind " Super Troopers " and " Beerfest " . Ed Werner and John Haney , the creators of Trivial Pursuit , are also alumni . Colgate alumni in sports include Joe Castiglione , radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox , Adonal Foyle , Greg Manusky , Cory Murphy , Mark H . Murphy , Marv Hubbard , Mark van Eeghen , Andy McDonald , Austin Smith of the Dallas Stars , and Kyle Wilson of the Columbus Blue Jackets .