College Boilerplate Description

Chartered in 1812, Hamilton College is the third-oldest college in New York and is named in honor of Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury and a charter trustee of the College's predecessor institution, the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. The College is a coeducational, residential liberal arts college whose members value and seek intellectual and cultural diversity. Throughout Hamilton's nearly two-century history, the College's rigorous curriculum and intimate atmosphere has attracted some of the nation's most capable students and faculty to its scenic hilltop campus in central New York.

Education in all its forms is the central mission of Hamilton College. At Hamilton, it is understood that the pivotal commitment of the faculty, administration, and staff to the intellectual and personal development of students is the College's most important and enduring tradition. Hamilton's curriculum reflects an appropriate respect for breadth and depth in the study of the liberal arts, while continuing its traditional emphasis upon oral and written communication. The fundamental purpose of a Hamilton education is to enable young men and women of unusual gifts to realize their fullest capabilities, for their own benefit and for the world in which they live.

Consistently ranked one of the top twenty liberal arts schools in the nation, Hamilton College continues to be a highly selective institution that has obligated itself to provide its students with an academic environment worthy of their talents and abilities. The College community represents a diverse group of intellectuals from across the country. Hamilton currently serves 1,792 students -- 49 percent of the students are women and over 10 percent are students of color. Enrollment at Hamilton College is at an all-time high with the most recent incoming classes representing some of the largest and academically strongest groups to grace the Hamilton campus.  The Class of 2004 represents the most selective and academically talented in-coming class in the last decade. Over 90 percent of Hamilton's enrollees are ranked within the top 20 percent of their high school graduating class. The College received 4,445 applications this year, with a 34 percent acceptance rate. Currently 62 valedictorians, 41 salutatorians, and 27 National Merit Scholar Finalists attend Hamilton College.

The faculty is composed of men and women who are dedicated to the promotion of academic achievement, human decency, and personal growth. There are 205 faculty members resulting in an astounding 10:1 student-faculty ratio. Ninety one percent hold terminal degrees within their field. The evolving pedagogical strategies of the faculty continue to define a Hamilton education - traditional lecture formats have given way to instruction that is active, hands-on, and collaborative. Such strategies challenge and motivate our student and often result in engaging student-faculty collaborative research projects.

Hamilton College has become an institution of higher learning that draws students from across the country and beyond. Although Hamilton remains small by present-day standards, it provides resources and facilities for a quality education that compare favorably with those offered by undergraduate institutions substantially larger in size. While remaining steadfastly dedicated to our traditional liberal arts mandate, we have evolved from a small frontier school to a thriving modern institution prepared to meet the educational demands of the 21st Century.

Please feel free to contact our office:

William Billiter
Director of Foundation, Corporate, and Government Relations
315-859-4384

Amy Lindner
Associate Director of Foundation, Corporate, and Government Relations
315-859-4678

Resources

Hamilton College Grant Proposal Endorsement