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]
TheState University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo,Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is apublicliberal arts college inGeneseo,New York, United States. It is the state's public honors college and part of theState 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]
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 theGeneseo 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]
Geneseo is a public liberal arts college with 61 undergraduatemajors, 5 master's programs, and 67 interdisciplinaryminors. 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 byNASA to support outer-space related research on-campus..
Sturges Hall is Geneseo's landmark building, featuring a clocktower andcarillon.
Following the retirement of long-time presidentChristopher Dahl, Denise Battles became the college's president in July 2015.[11] Melinda Treadwell assumed the role on October 27, 2025.[12]
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]
Geneseo has a chapter of the oldest academic honor society in the United States,Phi Beta Kappa.[18] SUNY's four universitycenters 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 comprehensivecolleges to receive the honor.[19]
The inaugural ΦΒΚ class was inducted to Geneseo's Alpha-Gamma of New York chapter in April 2004.[18]
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 Pelletronparticle accelerator.
At the far end of the South Village Residences, the college maintains the 20-acre (81,000 m2) Spencer J. RoemerArboretum wherein are preserved "more than 70 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, including a magnificent group ofoak trees which are more than 200 years old, and severalblack walnut trees estimated to be over 100 years old."[20]
Greek life began at Geneseo in 1871, originally asliterary 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]
The University athletics team (nicknamed theKnights) are composed of 19 varsity teams (7 men's, 12 women's). All teams compete at theNCAA Division III level and all teams compete in theEmpire 8 conference.[23] In men'sice hockey the Geneseo Knights are known as the "Geneseo Ice Knights".
Joseph D. Morelle, U.S. representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018. Former New York State Assembly Majority Leader, 2013–2018[36]
