What CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is like

What it's like

Baruch College is an urban, business-focused public institution located in Manhattan's Flatiron District, positioned between the city's financial center and academic community. The college has deep roots in public higher education dating back to 1847 as the Free Academy, the first free public college in the US. Today it operates as a specialized, career-oriented school with a strong downtown Manhattan presence and practical emphasis on preparing students for work in finance, public affairs, and professional fields.

Academic feel

Baruch is organized around three distinct schools: the Zicklin School of Business (19 undergraduate majors, 14 MBA specializations), the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences (27+ undergraduate majors), and the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. The college emphasizes breadth in professional and liberal arts training, with doctoral programs in business and industrial-organizational psychology offered jointly with the CUNY Graduate Center. Under recent leadership, the college has focused on raising admissions standards and implemented a common core curriculum for all undergraduates. Research activity spans political science, psychology, sociology, law, and mathematics.

Strengths

• Ranked as a top college for social mobility and achieved the best graduation rate within the CUNY system under Mitchel Wallerstein's leadership (2010-2020).[1]
• The Newman Vertical Campus, completed in 2001 at a cost of $327 million, received the American Institute of Architects' highest award for an individual building in 2003.[2]
• Strong corporate partnerships including a partnership with JPMorgan Chase and joint JD/MBA programs with Brooklyn Law School and New York Law School.[2]

Weaknesses

• Student protests occurred in 2011 in response to tuition hikes, resulting in arrests.[1]