The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
About
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in France.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.8-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 14 Title IV programs, 3 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 10 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing3 · 21.4%
- No Data10 · 71.4%
- Failing1 · 7.1%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 5
- Jul 2022Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Aug 2020Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Oct 2019Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Jun 2018Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 259 students received $1.7M in Pell grants, alongside $2.3M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 66 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (3.0%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Cooper
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- Public property1
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Cooper vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Cooper selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectThe Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | 81% | — | 933 | $13,269 | Baccalaureate |
| 79% | 74.5% | 2,308 | $48,661 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 11,956 | $25,184 | R1 Research | |
| 61% | 91.1% | 1,308 | $53,909 | — | |
| 94% | 2.6% | 2,430 | $16,075 | R1 Research | |
| 67% | 32.3% | 1,277 | $46,080 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,944 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 4.0% | 35,173 | $21,590 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 8.8% | 26,793 | $28,690 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 6,938 | $29,519 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 25.2% | 405 | $25,171 | — | |
| 94% | 14.1% | 53,363 | $12,116 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 12.7% | 951 | $35,924 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 31.4% | 2,775 | $34,433 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 25.9% | 7,692 | $36,931 | R2 Research | |
| 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $42,729 | — | |
| 69% | 76.3% | 1,989 | $24,100 | — | |
| 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $20,111 | R1 Research | |
| 88% | 9.2% | 56,832 | $37,050 | R1 Research | |
| 74% | 73.3% | 5,356 | $52,659 | — | |
| 98% | 4.6% | 9,137 | $6,128 | R1 Research | |
| 83% | 49.9% | 58,658 | $14,600 | R1 Research | |
| 84% | 63.5% | 7,040 | $36,228 | R1 Research | |
| 89% | 18.7% | 2,520 | $50,507 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 95% | 8.0% | 8,961 | $13,370 | R1 Research | |
| 78% | 76.9% | 2,334 | $42,513 | — | |
| 67% | 77.5% | 3,394 | $49,790 | — | |
| 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $57,914 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 92% | 3.6% | 18,625 | $13,807 | R1 Research | |
| 87% | 47.6% | 8,469 | $41,346 | R2 Research | |
| 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $23,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 45.9% | 22,589 | $38,793 | R1 Research | |
| 93% | 11.0% | 45,882 | $13,481 | R1 Research | |
| 97% | 5.4% | 29,109 | $28,699 | R1 Research | |
| 96% | 3.9% | 15,564 | $23,777 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 89% | 16.4% | 7,040 | $29,519 |
Institutions like Cooper
Explore the federal data for institutions in Cooper's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsCalifornia
Art Center College of Design
Grad rate79%Admit rate74.5%Enrollment2,308Net price$48,661View data - R1 ResearchRhode Island
Brown University
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment11,956Net price$25,184View data - California
California College of the Arts
Grad rate61%Admit rate91.1%Enrollment1,308Net price$53,909View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
California Institute of Technology
Grad rate94%Admit rate2.6%Enrollment2,430Net price$16,075View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsCalifornia
California Institute of the Arts
Grad rate67%Admit rate32.3%Enrollment1,277Net price$46,080View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.7%Enrollment15,888Net price$31,944View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.0%Enrollment35,173Net price$21,590View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Cornell University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.8%Enrollment26,793Net price$28,690View data - R1 ResearchNew Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment6,938Net price$29,519View data - Massachusetts
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Grad rate96%Admit rate25.2%Enrollment405Net price$25,171View data - R1 ResearchGeorgia
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Grad rate94%Admit rate14.1%Enrollment53,363Net price$12,116View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Harvey Mudd College
Grad rate92%Admit rate12.7%Enrollment951Net price$35,924View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Lafayette College
Grad rate88%Admit rate31.4%Enrollment2,775Net price$34,433View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Lehigh University
Grad rate88%Admit rate25.9%Enrollment7,692Net price$36,931View data - Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art
Grad rate72%Admit rate76.8%Enrollment1,687Net price$42,729View data - Massachusetts
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Grad rate69%Admit rate76.3%Enrollment1,989Net price$24,100View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate96%Admit rate4.5%Enrollment11,886Net price$20,111View data - R1 ResearchNew York
New York University
Grad rate88%Admit rate9.2%Enrollment56,832Net price$37,050View data - New York
Pratt Institute-Main
Grad rate74%Admit rate73.3%Enrollment5,356Net price$52,659View data - R1 ResearchNew Jersey
Princeton University
Grad rate98%Admit rate4.6%Enrollment9,137Net price$6,128View data - R1 ResearchIndiana
Purdue University-Main Campus
Grad rate83%Admit rate49.9%Enrollment58,658Net price$14,600View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Grad rate84%Admit rate63.5%Enrollment7,040Net price$36,228View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsRhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design
Grad rate89%Admit rate18.7%Enrollment2,520Net price$50,507View data - R1 ResearchTexas
Rice University
Grad rate95%Admit rate8.0%Enrollment8,961Net price$13,370View data - Indiana
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Grad rate78%Admit rate76.9%Enrollment2,334Net price$42,513View data - Illinois
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Grad rate67%Admit rate77.5%Enrollment3,394Net price$49,790View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
School of Visual Arts
Grad rate76%Admit rate92.6%Enrollment3,812Net price$57,914View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
Stanford University
Grad rate92%Admit rate3.6%Enrollment18,625Net price$13,807View data - R2 ResearchNew Jersey
Stevens Institute of Technology
Grad rate87%Admit rate47.6%Enrollment8,469Net price$41,346View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Grad rate92%Admit rate7.5%Enrollment1,623Net price$23,149View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Syracuse University
Grad rate84%Admit rate45.9%Enrollment22,589Net price$38,793View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of California-Berkeley
Grad rate93%Admit rate11.0%Enrollment45,882Net price$13,481View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Grad rate97%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment29,109Net price$28,699View data - R1 ResearchConnecticut
Yale University
Grad rate96%Admit rate3.9%Enrollment15,564Net price$23,777View data
Cooper Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The OIR serves all segments of the college community, including faculty, staff, administrators, and students. We are committed to supporting the college's educational mission through the collection, maintenance, analysis, and interpretation of data, while prioritizing the disaggregation of information to address inequalities in student outcomes.
Visit IR office page- Michael CarhartDirector of Institutional Research
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planStrategic Plan for the Albert Nerken School of Engineering2019The strategic plan for the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at The Cooper Union highlights the pivotal role of technological innovation in addressing societal challenges. Adopted unanimously by faculty, the plan aligns with institutional goals while emphasizing faculty and student contributions for its success. This comprehensive strategy will guide the school through critical developments until the year 2025.cooper.edu
Frequently asked questions about The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cooper.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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