Siena University (New York)

Siena University, formerly Siena College, is a private Franciscan university in Loudonville, New York, United States. It was founded by the Order of Friars Minor in 1937 and is named after the Franciscan friar Bernardino of Siena. The university enrolls approximately 3,600 students and offers undergraduate and graduate programs through three schools in business, liberal arts, and science. Siena competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

What is now Siena University was established in 1937 by the Order of Friars Minor, a modest institution with a faculty of seven friars and one layperson operating out of the former Garrett estate in Loudonville, New York. Initially named St. Bernardine of Siena College, it received its provisional charter from the University of the State of New York in 1938 and was granted a permanent charter in 1942. The university is named for Bernardino of Siena, a 15th-century Italian Franciscan friar and preacher.

In the late 1930s, Thomas Plassmann, president of St. Bonaventure University in Western New York, sent seven Franciscan friars to New York's Capital Region to found another college.

Siena University carried out initiatives to enhance its academic programs, campus facilities, and student resources.

A Siena College Grotto, along with a new bookstore, opened in 2014. A new rugby pitch was opened in fall 2016. In 2020, the college was listed as a census-designated place (Siena College CDP).

In January 2025, Siena opened a $35 million science building. This includes laboratories and a nursing floor equipped with simulation tools.

In June 2025, the Board of Trustees voted to approve a name change to "Siena University." In July 2025, Siena College officially changed its name to Siena University.

Siena University offers more than 40 majors, 80 minors and certificates, and graduate programs in business, education, and other fields. Students attend three schools within the university: