Colgate University offers an undergraduate psychological science degree with required coursework in research methods, biological psychology, and quantitative methods, plus an honors track for qualifying students. The university holds regional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education and is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, NY.
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, NY, with about 3,200 undergraduate students. Founded in 1817, the school is regionally accredited and ranks among the most selective liberal arts colleges in the country, accepting around 13% of applicants.
Colgate University Accreditation Details
Colgate University holds regional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), effective since July 2025, following a voluntary change from its prior accreditor. Details on the change are available on Colgate’s accreditation page. This accreditation allows students to transfer credits from other accredited colleges into Colgate programs and from Colgate to other accredited schools.
Colgate’s Master of Arts in Teaching program holds specialty accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), which authorizes the school to award degrees tied to its education programs. This specialty accreditation applies to Colgate’s graduate teaching program, a master’s degree in education with New York State certification pathways in childhood and adolescent education.
Colgate University Application Requirements
As a selective institution, Colgate University reviews more than grade point average when evaluating applicants. The university also considers outside activities and experiences, including extracurriculars like sports, drama club, and debate team, as well as volunteer work.
Applicants complete the online application, the university supplement form, and a $60 application fee. Students facing financial hardship can request a fee waiver directly from the school. Colgate is test-optional, so applicants may submit ACT or SAT scores if they choose, with no disadvantage to those who don’t. The supplement form provides the university with additional context beyond what’s captured in the standard application. Decisions are delivered by letter and are also available online before the letter arrives by mail.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition at Colgate University runs $73,206 a year for the 2025-26 academic year. The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books, and other standard fees, comes to roughly $91,000 a year. Students without comparable coverage through a family plan are required to carry health insurance through the university, which adds to that total.
Colgate offers only need-based financial aid and meets 100% of each student’s demonstrated need, calculated through the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The university recommends filing as early as possible after acceptance, since aid applications run alongside the admission application. Aid packages typically combine grants, work-study, and federal loans, with the share of each depending on a student’s financial need.
Psychological Science Programs at Colgate University
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences oversees Colgate’s undergraduate psychological science degree. Students take an introductory course in psychological science before the end of sophomore year and must declare the major before continuing in the program. Four core courses are required: introduction to psychological science, research methods, biological psychology, and quantitative methods in behavioral research. Beyond those, students complete electives in areas such as developmental, social, and clinical psychology or neuroscience, with the option to pursue an honors thesis through a two-semester independent research project. For a broader sense of what to expect in a major like this, see the courses psychology majors typically take across similar programs.
Psychological science majors must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0 in coursework counting toward the major. Falling below that threshold results in academic probation and possible removal from the program. Students with a major GPA of 3.50 or higher who complete an honors thesis and pass an oral defense graduate with Honors. A major GPA of 3.70 or higher qualifies for High Honors under the same thesis requirements. Students weighing graduate study after Colgate can also look into doctoral psychology programs in New York.
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