


CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College grew out of a business school established within the City College of New York in 1919. It became an independent senior college of the City University of New York in 1968, a change that helps explain its combination of a business-focused identity and a broader public-college curriculum.
The school was named for Bernard M. Baruch, a financier and public adviser who had attended City College. Its development as a separate college expanded opportunities beyond business into the liberal arts and public affairs. The opening of the William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus in 2001 was a significant physical milestone: the building brought classrooms, student spaces, and recreation facilities together on a compact Manhattan site.
Baruch organizes its degree programs across three schools: the Zicklin School of Business, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. Together, they offer undergraduate and graduate study rather than a business-only education.
Zicklin includes fields such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, and information systems. Weissman covers subjects including communication, psychology, mathematics, the sciences, and the humanities. Marxe focuses on public administration, policy, and international affairs. Students considering a particular major should check its prerequisites and school-entry rules; admission to Baruch does not necessarily mean immediate eligibility to declare every program.
Baruch College is a public, urban CUNY campus in Manhattan's Flatiron and Gramercy area of New York City. Its main academic buildings are near East 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue, with subway and bus connections that make commuting practical for many students.
The setting provides access to employers, cultural institutions, and public agencies, but it also means students must account for New York City transportation and living expenses. Baruch is not a secluded residential campus: its buildings are integrated into the surrounding street grid, and most students commute.
Baruch describes its mission as providing a public education that combines academic learning, professional preparation, and access for students from varied backgrounds. Its stated priorities include teaching, scholarship, and engagement with New York City and the wider world.
That mission is reflected in its three-school structure: students can pursue business and public-service fields alongside arts and sciences. Baruch is a secular public institution within CUNY; its mission statements describe institutional aims, not a guarantee of any individual student's academic or career outcome.
Name of the institution
CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
20,000 and aboveSchool type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1919CUNY Bernard M Baruch College is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - otherData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.