Key Facts

Through experiential learning and real-world applications, PSC delivers hands-on education for a meaningful life.

Paul Smith’s College is a small private four-year college in the breathtaking Adirondacks of upstate New York. We’re famous for our extraordinary location and our hands-on degree programs in fields such as natural sciences, sustainability, forestry, business, hospitality, recreation, and culinary arts – drawing on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere.

Engaging Academics

Master’s degree program

Bachelor’s degree programs

Associate degree programs

50+ professors including:
Carnegie Foundation NYS Professor of the Year
Fulbright Scholar
Expertise ranging from DNA purification to running kitchens in 4-star resorts

A Legacy of Impact

  • Founded in 1946
  • Built on the site of the 1859 Paul Smith’s Hotel
  • The first wilderness resort in the Adirondacks
  • Vacation destination for early-20th century celebrities and world leaders
  • Pioneers of Adirondack culture and cuisine
  • $75 million regional contribution
  • Home to the Adirondack Watershed Institute, preserving lakes & waterways since 1992

Extraordinary Lakeside Campus

  • 14,000 acres in the middle of the Adirondacks
  • Sustainable residential campus on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake
  • Convenient to nearby resort towns Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, and an easy drive to Montreal

Enterprising Students

  • Approximately 750 students
  • 46% are the first in their families to attend college
  • 63% men | 37% women
  • 34% out-of-state/international

 

  • 9% identify as minorities
  • 5% are military veterans
  • 98% receive scholarships, grants and other financial assistance

Proven Quality

  • Paul Smith’s College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  • The BS in Forestry and the AAS in Forest Technology programs are accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF)
  • The College-owned forest is certified by the SmartWood Program, a certification organization accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council

AT PAUL SMITH'S COLLEGE, IT'S ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

  • Culinary Arts students spend hours chopping, braising & baking in commercial kitchens, including two on-campus training restaurants
  • Forestry students help manage thousands of acres of land, then transform fresh timber into finished boards in our sawmill
  • Environmental Science students produce leading-edge research used by state officials to maintain public health
  • Hospitality students work with regional business owners to craft and implement marketing strategies
  • Aspiring entrepreneurs develop actionable, award-winning business plans
  • Watershed Stewards interact with property owners, public officials, nonprofits and the public to combat aquatic invasive species
  • With 20+ degree programs, the examples are endless

What’s the result? No matter which field they choose, our capable, experienced Smitties are always in demand.

Student-Focused Academics

  • 20+ bachelors degree programs
  • 5 associate degree programs
  • Majors in environmental studies, biology, forestry, fish and wildlife sciences, hotel and tourism, natural resources management, and more
  • 50+ professors with expertise ranging from Antarctic field research to running kitchens in four-star resorts

Creative, Entrepreneurial Students

  • 1415 combined average SAT
  • 21 composite average ACT
  • 2.9 average high school GPA (unweighted)
  • 60% men | 40% women
  • approximately 750 students
  • 34% out-of-state/international
  • 98% are enrolled full-time
  • 90% are employed or in grad school within 6 months
  • 98% receive scholarships, grants and other financial assistance

One-of-a-Kind Location

  • 14,000 acres in the middle of the Adirondack Park
  • Sustainable residential campus on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake
  • Convenient to nearby resort towns Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, and an easy drive to Montreal

»

Rich History

  • Built on the site of the 1859 Paul Smith’s Hotel
    • The first wilderness resort in the Adirondacks
    • Vacation destination for early-20th-century celebrities and world leaders
    • Pioneers of Adirondack culture and cuisine