The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

842

Graduate enrollment

79

Student–faculty ratio

8 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

28%

First-generation students

19%

Students over 25

1%

Median family income

$38,048

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$129,672

Endowment

$920,191,918

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

20.7%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

1295–1501

SAT average

1410

SAT reading

653–748

SAT math

642–753

ACT composite

28–34

Average GPA (estimated)

3.94

Cost

In-state tuition

$46,820

Room & board

$19,090

Books & supplies

$1,800

Total cost of attendance

$64,190

Average net price

$13,269

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

81%

Graduated on time (4 years)

52%

First-year retention

92%

Transferred to another college

0%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$39,707

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$83,847

Median debt at graduation

$15,000

Students with federal loans

21%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

74%

About 29% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

170

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

20%

Housing charge (year)

$14,650

Application fee

$75

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Campus safety

Safety grade

A

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

0.0 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

0

Property offenses (2022–2024)

0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (933 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$10,457/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.