About the College: The College at Brockport

Hartwell Hall

The College at Brockport is a true learning community in which students, faculty and staff all contribute to and celebrate the success of others. Every student is recognized as a dynamic, multi-dimensional individual rich with promise. Through the many ways there are to learn, contribute and excel here, we help to awaken the scholar, the athlete, the artist, and the entrepreneur within.

The College at Brockport is a four-year, public college located approximately 16 miles (about 25.7 km) west of the city of Rochester and 45 miles (about 72.4 km) east of Buffalo. The College is part of the State University of New York (SUNY), which has 64 diverse campuses located throughout the state of New York. The SUNY system is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States.

The College at Brockport is a selective, comprehensive liberal arts college that has been named one of the best colleges and universities in the Northeast according to The Princeton Review and is featured in its online publication, “The Best Colleges: Region by Region” and its book, The Best Northeastern Colleges: 2010 Edition.

History of The College at Brockport

The College at Brockport can trace its roots back nearly 175 years to the opening of the Erie Canal, a man-made waterway running through the state of New York. As the town of Brockport became a thriving center for agriculture and commerce, the first “College at Brockport” welcomed its first students in 1835. After financial struggles closed the school, a group of town residents rallied together to open a new institution in 1841. Known then as the Brockport Collegiate Institute, the school offered teacher training, elementary classes for children, and a wide range of academic and professional training for older students. Not only did the academy serve people of all ages, it also opened itself to women and minorities during a time when many other colleges did not.

Throughout the years, the College has been known by many different names, including Brockport State Normal School and Brockport State Teachers College, both of which focused heavily on teacher training and certification. The last Normal School class graduated in 1942. That year also marks when the school officially became a college, enabling it to grant bachelor’s degrees – compared to the certificates of study that Normal School graduates had been receiving until that time.

As the Brockport State Teachers College, the school was automatically included into the new State University of New York (SUNY) system, which was established in 1948.

In 1944, the entire campus was just one building – Hartwell Hall, which is still part of the main campus today. At that time, there were a few hundred students and less than 50 faculty and staff members. Today, The College at Brockport is home to more than 8,000 students in both undergraduate and graduate programs and employs nearly 600 professors and more than 1,000 staff members.

To read more about the history of The College at Brockport, click here.

Facts & Figures

The College at Brockport is a four-year institution with programs blending the liberal arts with professional studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Enrollment

Total student enrollment includes nearly 7,000 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students, with 12 percent being members of underrepresented groups.

There are approximately 70 international students studying in our undergraduate programs. Students come from as far away as Bulgaria, Malaysia, Germany, Bosnia, Cameroon, Japan, Jamaica and India and as close by as our northern neighbor, Canada.

Class size

The College at Brockport offers a hands-on classroom experience. The average class size is 22 students, allowing for increased interaction with faculty and participation during class time. Additionally, the faculty to student ratio is 18 to 1. Faculty at The College at Brockport are experts in their fields and serve as mentors, guides and advisors to students throughout their four years at the College.

Recognitions

The College at Brockport is a nationally ranked and recognized educational institution. It has been recognized as one of the best colleges and best values in the Northeast according to The Princeton Review. It was also ranked in US News & World Report’s “America’s Best College’s Guide” and Kiplinger’s “100 Best Values in Public Colleges.”

To find out more facts and figures about The College at Brockport, click here.

Last Updated 6/7/11