NYC's first public coeducational liberal arts college, now a CUNY flagship serving nearly 14,000 students.
Brooklyn College offers over 100 undergraduate majors and graduate programs across five schools. The college is known for its rigorous Core Studies curriculum, which all undergraduates must complete. Graduate offerings include the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, a B.A.–M.D. program, and coordinated engineering programs. Faculty have earned prestigious distinctions including Pulitzer Prizes, Emmy Awards, and Obie Awards. The college has been recognized for strong general education, ranking 5th nationally in 1988 among college deans' assessments and earning recognition as a 'bright spot' in humanities education.
The 35-acre urban campus in Midwood features a Georgian-style layout with a central quadrangle, designed by architect Randolph Evans. Major facilities include the renovated Harry D. Gideonse Library (completed 2003), the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, and the West Quad Center with classrooms, offices, gymnasiums, and a swimming pool. The college is accessible via the Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn College station (2 and 5 trains) and multiple bus routes. Student life includes NCAA Division III athletics, clubs, and organizations. The campus is highly diverse, with 59% low-income students and 25% Asian, 24% White, 24% Hispanic, and 21% Black undergraduates.
Brooklyn College accepts first-year undergraduates, transfer students, graduate students, and international students. The college offers multiple pathways for admission. Specific admission statistics and test score requirements are not detailed in the provided sources, but the college emphasizes accessibility and affordability as part of its mission.
Brooklyn College alumni include U.S. senators, federal judges, CEOs, Olympians, and recipients of Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and Nobel Prizes. As of 1989, the college ranked 11th in the U.S. by number of graduates who acquired doctoral degrees, ahead of six of the eight Ivy League universities. The college has been recognized for exceptional value and social mobility, earning top rankings from Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and The Wall Street Journal in 2025.