CUNY, The City University of New York

CUNY is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of NYC. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven two-year colleges, 11 four-year colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions across NYC’s five boroughs, serving over 233,000 students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels more than six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. Our historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.