There are about 594,000 university students in New York City attending 110 universities and colleges. New York State is the nation’s largest importer of college students, according to statistics which show that among freshmen who leave their home states to attend college, more come to New York than any other state, including California. Enrollment in New York State is led by New York City, which is home to more university students than any other city in the United States.


Columbia University

Columbia University is an Ivy League university in upper Manhattan. It was chartered by George II of Great Britain in 1754 as King's College, and is the oldest institution of higher education in New York State, and the fifth oldest in the United States. The current President of the United States, Barack Obama, is also an alumnus.The current main campus is in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, with a campus for the Columbia University Medical Center in the nearby Washington Heights neighborhood.

New York University

New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan. Founded in 1831, NYU is the largest private, nonprofit institution of higher education in the United States, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students distributed across nearly 20 schools and colleges. It is consistently ranked amongst the top universities in the world.