Nazareth University (also known as Naz) is a private university in Pittsford, New York. It offers over 60 undergraduate majors and more than two dozen graduate programs. The college was previously Nazareth College of Rochester, or Nazareth College.

At the request of Thomas Francis Hickey, Bishop of Rochester, five Sisters of St. Joseph founded Nazareth College of Rochester in 1924 to provide undergraduate education to young women. The first class was composed of 25 young women who began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New York. The original mansion that housed the college was known as "the Glass House." At that time, the college offered Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, each with a liberal arts core. In response to increasing enrollment, the college moved to a larger facility in 1928 at 402 Augustine Street.

The campus has 24 buildings, including 11 residence halls, a 2,200-seat stadium, and all-weather track, located on 150 acres (0.61 km).

The Golisano Academic Center was built in 1927. It is the oldest and largest building on campus, once serving as the "motherhouse" for the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was purchased from the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2003 and is now used for academic and administrative purposes. Features of the Center include the Linehan Chapel and Sorelle's gathering space. The Nazareth University Arts Center, which houses the departments of theatre arts, music, and art and design, opened in 1967. The Arts Center was renovated in September 2009 to become a dance and performance venue.

The Golisano Training Center (opened in fall 2019), is a multi-use facility supporting varsity athletics, Special Olympics events, fitness, and a wide range of campus activities. The Jane and Laurence Glazer Music Performance Center, providing state-of-the-art acoustics, opened in fall 2018.

It was listed as a census-designated place in 2020, with a population of 1,182.

Nazareth University is organized into four schools:

• College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, Business, and Education, which includes:
  • School of Education
  • School of Business and Leadership
• College of Interprofessional Health and Human Services
• College of Visual and Performing Arts and Design, which includes:
  • School of Music

Nazareth offers more than 60 bachelor's degree programs, more than 20 master's degree programs, a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and three post-baccalaureate certificate programs.

From 2009 to 2018, 30 Nazareth students were accepted to the Fulbright Program. The Chronicle of Higher Education placed Nazareth in the #1 spot (in the Master's Institutions category) of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students, 2012–13 list.

Since 1990, Nazareth graduates have been granted Fulbright awards for study in Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Israel, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Honors scholars complete the honors foundation courses and then select one of three tracks to pursue: research, engagement, or global. Scholars complete a capstone project that they defend at Nazareth's Creative Activity and Research Showcase (CARS) Symposium.

Performance, exhibit, and gathering spaces include:

• Sands Family Pavilion, featuring a grand staircase leading to Callahan Theater
• Jayne Summers Hall, a space for gathering before performances and during intermission
• Fine Arts Gallery, a large space for Nazareth University, greater Rochester, and national exhibitions
• Lipson Patrons Lounge
• Wegman Family Sculpture Garden, a four-season garden featuring three-dimensional artwork by Nazareth University faculty
• Master's Family Community Theater, a smaller space for community performances and events
• Callahan Theater, a theater that seats approximately 800
• Performance Studio, a space for dance and theater rehearsals, instruction, and creation
• Margaret Colacino Gallery, a space for student and faculty art shows, as well as national art exhibitions
• Peace Theater, a second smaller space similar to Master's for community performances and events

The Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue (CISD) at Nazareth University was founded in 2005. In 2011, International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) of Herndon, Virginia offered Nazareth a major gift, provided it was matched by local donors. Brian and Jean Hickey matched this gift, resulting in the new name: Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue at Nazareth University.

The Casa Italiana (Italian House) — named for Frank DiMino in 2023 — is a center of Italian language, literature, and culture. It serves as a cultural center for the university and the Rochester metropolitan area. Built with the help of the Italian-American community of greater Rochester in 1978, the Casa promotes traditional and contemporary Italian culture, explores the Italian-American experience, and seeks to enhance exchanges between the United States and Italy. The reading room at the Casa provides the university and the community with language and culture resources, and the classroom provides an environment in which students and community members can study the Italian language. Cultural events organized by the Casa include lectures, cooking and language classes, film nights, conferences, concerts, seminars, symposia, bocce tournaments, art shows, and trips to Italy.

La Maison Française (French House) is a home converted into a cultural center and residence hall for 13 selected foreign language majors. The French House offers a living environment and resource center for students who wish to immerse themselves in French culture and practice speaking French. La Maison Française also offers a line-up of cultural events throughout the year. Such gatherings, which include French film nights, cultural and historical lectures, reader's theater showcases, Francophone regional dinners, and campus diversity dinners, occur on Thursday evenings and are prepared by the French department and the house residents.

At the heart of the Spanish program is the Casa Hispana, a place where students and community members enjoy films, conversation, art exhibitions, and a variety of events relating to the culture of Spain and the Latin American countries. The Casa also houses the offices of the Spanish program faculty, a library, and classrooms.

Academic rankings
Master's
Washington Monthly	179 of 604
Regional
U.S. News & World Report	54 (tie) of 151
National
WSJ/College Pulse	391 of 400

Nazareth's men's and women's athletic teams are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division III with the exception of the men's Rugby team playing at the Division I level. The Golden Flyers are a member of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (Empire 8). For men's volleyball, Nazareth is a member of the single-sport United Volleyball Conference and for men's ice hockey, a member of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Athletic facilities at Nazareth include the Robert A. Kidera Gymnasium (1,200), Golden Flyer Stadium (2,200), and the Golisano Training Center, a full size indoor field house with an indoor track, tennis courts, and turf field.

Men's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and dance. The college added women's hockey in 2018.

The Nazareth men's lacrosse team is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion (1992, 1996, and 1997). The team has also appeared in the NCAA postseason tournament nineteen times. In 2011, the Nazareth men's indoor volleyball team achieved a #1 national ranking and won the Molten Division III National Championship, while in 2013 they finished runner-up in the NCAA Division III championship to Springfield.

Nazareth University's traditional rival is St. John Fisher University, just a mile north. The annual men's basketball game between the schools is known as "The Battle of the Beaks."

More than 95% of students are involved in community service through academic service-learning, student organizations, athletics, and residence life. Nazareth has an on-campus Center for Civic Engagement to serve as a resource for students, staff, and faculty who want to learn and serve in the context of the local, regional, national and global communities. The center is also a point of contact for community members seeking College involvement with local organizations, programs, and projects. The school also has a campus ministry program to connect students to various volunteer organizations. In addition, over 60% of alumni are known to participate regularly in community service. In 2007, the college was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll (with distinction). In 2013, Nazareth was only one of five schools in the country named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest honor a college or university can receive, at the federal level, for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Nazareth has more than 33,000 alumni living in all 50 states and 38 countries around the world.

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (March 2022)

Notable Nazareth alumni include:

• Catherine "Cathie" Cool Rumsey, Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate from January 2013 until January 2014
• Gail Haines, a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives from January 2009 until January 2014
• Jim Jabir, former head coach of the University of Dayton women's basketball team and leader in all-time wins
• Michael Park, Emmy award-winning actor, known for As the World Turns, Stranger Things, and the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen
• Neal Powless, Iroquois lacrosse player from the Six Nations of the Grand River Indian reserve near Brantford, Ontario
• Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, documentary photographer
• Jeff Van Gundy, head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1996 to 2007 before becoming an NBA analyst for ESPN

• Elizabeth "Beth" L. Paul, Ph.D., started as Nazareth's 10th president on July 1, 2023.
• Andrea Talentino, provost (2020-2022), ninth president of Augustana College

• Official website
• Nazareth College Archives at New York Heritage Digital Collections

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