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Geneva, NY copyPhoto: RochesterNY · Public domain
Colleges in and near Geneva

Geneva is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

Hobart William Smith Colleges (1,669 students on campus) is inside the city. Across New York, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsHobart William Smith Colleges

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Geneva. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
6,201 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Hobart William Smith Colleges
Residents in college
22%
Above NY (7%)
Nearest community college
13.1 mi
Finger Lakes · $6,234 tuition
Nearest public university
42.8 mi
SUNY College at Geneseo · $8,999 in-state
Students on campus in Geneva
1,669
next to 12,552 residents

What stands out about college in Geneva

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town22 of every 100 Geneva residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.A college in GenevaHobart William Smith Colleges has 1,669 students on campus in Geneva, 77% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 13.1 miles awayFinger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua: tuition and fees $6,234 a year for New York residents.In-state price at SUNY College at GeneseoLiving in New York, SUNY College at Geneseo charges $8,999 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $19,569. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Geneva

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

22 of every 100 Geneva residents are in college (NY: 7).

1,669students on campus at Hobart William Smith Colleges, next to 12,552 residents (dorm students count as residents)
550college students live in Geneva households rather than dorms
32.6median age · NY 39.8
48%of homes rented · NY 46%
$972median rent · 40% below the state
GenevaGeneva, NY
Cost of living$972/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Geneva’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 14.8% of Geneva residents are below the poverty line, 14.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 23% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Geneva’s median age is 32.6 (New York 39.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Geneva

Two private colleges within 11.9 miles, and Finger Lakes Community College 13.1 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, SUNY College at Geneseo, is 42.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miFinger LakesHobart William Smith CollegesNortheast College of Health SciencesGeneva
University or collegeCommunity college
Hobart William Smith CollegesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,669 on campus · In Geneva64%admitted$32knet price77%graduate$69kearningsNortheast College of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 419 on campus · 11.9 mi · Seneca FallsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Finger Lakes Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,113 on campus · 13.1 mi · Canandaigua$14knet price30%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $6,234 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Earnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Geneva’s median household income ($79,435) falls.

Finger Lakes Community College13.1 mi · Canandaigua · sticker $19,900 · tuition $6,234$17,058a year
SUNY College at Geneseo42.8 mi · Geneseo · sticker $27,709$17,549a year
Hobart William Smith CollegesIn Geneva · sticker $82,602$23,149a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Hobart William Smith CollegesFinger LakesSUNY College at Geneseo
Finger Lakes Community College30% graduate$40k earnings*$13k typical debt
SUNY College at Geneseo71% graduate$67k earnings$20k typical debt
Hobart William Smith Colleges77% graduate$69k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Finger Lakes (2).

Majors

What students study in Geneva

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Hobart William Smith Colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Social sciences 25%Biology 10%Psychology 10%Business 9%Communication 7%English 6%Everything else 33%

Biggest programs

Economics51 graduates a year
$112k4 yrs out
Psychology, General40 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research36 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies34 graduates a year
$74k4 yrs out
Architecture and Related Services, Other28 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Biology, General24 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
History22 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Area Studies19 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Geneva

Is Geneva a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Geneva residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across New York. Hobart William Smith Colleges has 1,669 students on campus, next to 12,552 residents.

What colleges are in Geneva?

Hobart William Smith Colleges is inside the city. Finger Lakes Community College is 13.1 miles away in Canandaigua.

Why is Geneva’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 14.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 14.3% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Geneva, and what does it cost?

Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, 13.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,234 a year for New York residents; the federal net price, $13,898, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Hobart William Smith Colleges?

Hobart William Smith Colleges admitted 64% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,190–1,385 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Geneva. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →