The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (CU)

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a renowned New York City institution that works "to create a rich environment for scholarly thinking, problemsolving, learning, and debate." It does so by serving an especially sharp cadre of studentsunder a thousand in all-degree programs in art, engineering, and architecture, all buttressed by required humanities courses. Students develop independence and autonomy through "major projects that offer them a great deal of academic freedom to create their own content." In turn, this environment encourages students to "achieve the most in a short amount of time." The "very focused" engineering program prepares students to be "a functioning member of the engineering community and workforce." Cooper Union offers academics that are "very rigorous, although consistent and achievable with the resources provided." As one student states, "Even as a sophomore, I have had the opportunity to take (and understand) graduate level material. Students benefit from a diverse array of instructors, so "you're not likely [to] have the same professor over and over again." Professors are "generally very knowledgeable in their subject area" with students noting that the "caliber of [the] art teachers is unbelievable." Some of the art instructors "have exhibited at the MOMA and Guggenheim," and other prestigious venues. Overall, students feel that Cooper Union combines a great education along with a good ROI when considering the "cost of tuition and good job placement after graduating."

Students at Cooper Union are dedicated, ambitious, and focused, as the school "requires a lot of time to study in order to pass the courses." They are often described as "generally stressed and hardworking, but high-spirited," as well as "highly intelligent...and helpful." Within this "small but complex community," many students work part-time while in school, and it is generally understood that "schoolwork is valued over social interaction." As one student describes, "The level students are at, and their work ethic makes you feel like the people here are destined for success." It's a community where "almost everyone is pretty friendly," and most students lean "socially and politically left." It's a place where niche interests thrive and "everyone has their own thing that makes them tick." Students at Cooper Union delve deeply into their interests and excel in their field by "doing extra activities that they don't need to" purely for their innate "curiosity and fun."

Cooper Union is located in the heart of the East Village, a busy and buzzing metropolitan area that provides students "ample opportunity to explore New York City" and its "abundance of...places of interest." There are well-used meeting areas on campus "for both group study and recreational uses" and clubs and organizations offering a variety of events from "Paint and Chill Night" to runs around the city organized by the Cooper Union T rack Club. In general, it's a small campus, which is great in that students are "always near each other, ready to chat and grab a coffee for a little break." On the other hand, limited on-campus food services push students to visit local city restaurants or to use residence hall stovetops "to cook their own food when time permits." This isn't a bother for students, who say that "life is packed" and say they often head to a bar on weekends, hit the gym, or play sports or video games as "stress-management mechanisms." And in a nod to the city's location, location, location, "as a means to decompress, a stroll through the streets of New York City is always beneficial-the city is our campus."

The Center for Career Development encourages “self-accountability, initiative, and autonomy” in all students as they transition to a professional practice. With that in mind, the center offers ample resources to help students find their way, like workshops on portfolio development, self-assessment worksheets, and career counseling tailored to each school. Other center resources include the Cooper Career Connection, the channel that informs students about all career-related events, programs, and forums. The center’s Professional Internship Program for art students formalizes experiential learning and provides an hourly wage for select internships that would otherwise be unpaid, and the Engineering Alumni-Student Career Mentoring Program pairs engineering students with alumni mentors for one year. The CU@Lunch program also brings alums into the fold, allowing recent grads to “speak about the vital issues they face following graduation,” and the semi-annual Mock Interview Night lets students practice interviewing with alums and get feedback. Those graduates who visited PayScale.com report a median starting salary of $81,500.