Catholic Vincentian university in Queens, NY, founded 1870, serving 20,000+ students across six colleges.
St. John's is organized into six colleges and schools: St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Education, Peter J. Tobin College of Business, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, and School of Law. The university offers over 100 bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs, including accelerated three-year bachelor's degrees, five-year bachelor's/master's combinations, and a six-year Pharm.D. program. The School of Law was ranked #62 for 2026, and the School of Education ranked tied for 105th nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
The main Queens campus spans 105 acres in Hillcrest, Queens, with additional residential facilities including the Residential Village and Founders Village Townhouses. St. John's operates shuttle bus service connecting students to satellite campuses, NYC transit, and Manhattan destinations. The university supports over 180 student organizations, provides three daily Masses and daily confession, and operates the St. John's Bread and Life program serving the poor. International campuses in Rome, Paris, and Limerick offer study-abroad opportunities.
In 2019, St. John's received 27,000 freshman applications with a 72% admission rate and enrolled 3,135 new undergraduates—the largest freshman class at any US Catholic college or university. Half of admitted applicants had SAT scores between 1080 and 1300. The freshman retention rate was 84%. The student body represents 46 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and 119 countries; 37% are low-income students.
U.S. News & World Report ranked St. John's 153rd among national universities (2024–25), with strong performance in social mobility (tied 39th) and veterans support (tied 124th). Forbes ranked the university 202nd on its 'America's Top Colleges' list (2024–25). The university conferred over 4,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees in 2016, with alumni totaling more than 190,000 worldwide.