The New School is a private, non-profit research university located in Manhattan's Union Square/Greenwich Village neighborhood. The university is organized into five colleges: Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the College of Performing Arts, the New School for Social Research, and the Schools of Public Engagement. Parsons School of Design also offers undergraduate, graduate, and summer programs at Parsons Paris, a branch of The New School.
The New School was founded in 1919 as The New School of Social Research. Its prominent founders were professors at Columbia University who were censured by the university president after publicly speaking out against U.S. entry into WWI. They then came together with others to create a school "in which faculty and students would be free to honestly and directly address the problems facing societies." The New School built its reputation as a haven for dissenters and creatives. It has always been on the cutting edge of academia, offering a course in film in 1926, African-American studies classes taught by W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke in the 1940s, and the first-ever college-level women's studies class in 1962. It created The University in Exile to support German academics fleeing Fascism in the 1930s.
Today, The New School's unique offerings include several dual-degree options. Undergraduates can choose from over 45 majors and are encouraged to engage in cross-disciplinary work and unique major-minor programs. Undergraduates can pursue a bachelor of arts from the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts alongside a bachelor of fine arts from Parsons or the College of Performing Arts. The New School also offers the option to earn a bachelor's and master's in five years in specific programs. Masters and doctoral degrees are offered in many disciplines and certificate programs and adult and continuing education. The institution also provides graduate minors as part of its cross-disciplinary focus.
The New School supports labs, centers, and institutes focused on research and real-world problem solving, including the Digital Equity Lab, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, Parsons DESIS (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability) Lab, and many others.
Enrollment at The New School is about 10,000 students, approximately 7,500 of whom are undergraduates. In the 2019-20 school year, 34.3% of students were international; 32.6% white; 10.8% Hispanic or Latino; 8.9% Asian; 5.2% African American; 4.4% unknown; 3.6% two or more races; 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native and 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
The New School boasts nearly 80,000 alumni around the world. Notable alumni include Bradley Cooper, designer and director Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, and the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The New Schools has multiple academic buildings in Greenwich Village, many of which are located on the Fifth Avenue between West 13th and 16th Street. The university has put together a map to help existing students and newcomers navigate the campus.
For those interested in taking the MTA subway to classes, the campus is easily accessible by a few subway lines. You can catch 4,5,6, N, Q, R, W trains at the 14th Street-Union Square Station. You can also take the 1,2,3 trains to the 14th Street Station on 7th Avenue.
Students have the option of living in campus housing at The New School. There are five residence halls, and their locations are listed below.
Most offer an exercise room, laundry facilities, and music and art spaces. Students also enjoy access to four on-campus gyms, and regular outdoor adventure outings for activities like hiking and rock climbing. The New School boasts over 50 student organizations and recreational sports teams. In 2013 the school selected the Narwhal as its mascot. Named Gnarls Narwhal, their biography reveals that Gnarls "(they/them) is the official mascot for The New School, a social justice advocate, and the first and only sea mammal to earn a BA/BFA dual degree from The New School. Gnarls is a Pisces."
Thanks to its location and the convenient public transportation system, students attending the New School can choose to live anywhere in the city. Popular neighborhoods close to the school buildings include Greenwich Village, the East Village, Chelsea, Murray Hill, and NoHo. Many also choose to live in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Bushwick, Clinton Hill, and Bed-Stuy. If being close to the subway is your priority, take a look at RentHop's subway rent map and find out which subway stops close to the campus are the cheapest to rent.
Considering that New York City is the center of art, design, and fashion in the nation, it's not surprising that many alumni choose to stay in the city after graduation. Great neighborhoods for alumni include Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Upper West Side, and East Village. Brooklyn is another popular option among alumni. For those who have a few years of working under their belt, neighborhoods such as the Upper East Side, Dumbo, and West Village are very popular as well.
For people first moving into New York City, check out the RentHop Renters Guide. The guide explains everything you need to know about renting in the Big Apple, from finding your ideal apartment to signing the lease and completing the rental process.
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