This paper traces the history of higher education in New York state and discusses the role of Siena College, a small liberal arts college, in the New York higher education picture. New York has 194 nonprofit private institutions of higher education, 91 public institutions, and 37 for-profit postsecondary education institutions. The State University of New York, founded in the 1780s, with its 64 campuses, is the major player in public higher education in the state, although the Ivy League colleges may be more well known. New York has a number of small, liberal arts colleges, military and technical institutions, agricultural schools, and colleges and universities that are characterized as urban. Often overlooked in higher education are the proprietary, vocational career, and other noncollege for-profit institutions. Siena College shares many of the issues facing higher education as a whole, notably the need to provide an affordable quality education. More than 80% of its students receive some form of financial aid, and the college is collaborating with other institutions to leverage existing resources to enhance the academic climate and experience. (Contains 17 references.) (SLD)