America's first free public college, founded 1847, now a flagship CUNY research university in Manhattan.
City College offers undergraduate and graduate programs across engineering, sciences, business, education, and humanities. The college maintains strong traditions in physics, mathematics, and engineering, with a curriculum combining classical training and practical subjects. It operates a satellite campus (City College Downtown) in the Cunard Building since 1981, offering degree programs for working adults. The college is accredited by MSCHE and classified as an R2 Doctoral University with high research activity.
The main campus in Hamilton Heights spans 35 acres with historic architecture designed by George B. Post and William Stone Post. The college has a rich history of student activism and governance, including what is claimed to be the first student government in the nation (1867). Athletics compete in NCAA Division III under the CUNYAC conference, with the Beavers as the mascot. The college publishes student newspapers The Campus and The Paper.
Founded in 1847 by Townsend Harris as the Free Academy, City College was the first free public institution of higher education in the United States. It pioneered several American higher education traditions: the first student government (1867), the first national fraternity accepting members regardless of religion or race (Delta Sigma Phi, 1899), and the first degree-granting evening program (School of Education, 1907). The college became coeducational in 1951 and began charging tuition in 1976.
The college operates several research centers including the Advanced Science Research Center, CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, and CUNY Energy Institute. With 581 full-time and 914 part-time faculty members, the institution maintains an endowment of $290 million (as of 2019) and supports significant research activity across multiple disciplines.