CUNY Lehman College

What is the history of CUNY Lehman College?

Lehman College began as the Bronx campus of Hunter College and became an independent college within the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1968. It was named for Herbert H. Lehman, a former New York governor and U.S. senator.

The campus opened in 1931 to expand public higher education in the Bronx. Its history also includes an unusual international milestone: the United Nations Security Council held meetings on the campus in 1946, when it was still part of Hunter College. Today, Lehman is a public college offering undergraduate and graduate study rather than a branch of Hunter.

What are the faculties and departments at CUNY Lehman College?

Lehman organizes its academic programs across schools covering the arts and humanities; education; natural and social sciences; health sciences, human services, and nursing; and business. Students can pursue bachelor's degrees, graduate degrees, and selected certificates.

Representative fields include biology, computer science, psychology, English, accounting, nursing, social work, and teacher education. Program requirements can differ substantially: an applicant admitted to Lehman is not necessarily admitted to a selective nursing track or approved for a clinical placement or teacher-certification pathway. Prospective students should compare the current academic catalog with the requirements for their intended major, including prerequisites, fieldwork, and any separate application.

What is the location of CUNY Lehman College?

Lehman College is in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West. Its campus has a more defined, open layout than many city colleges, but it remains part of an urban area where commuting is central to daily life.

The Bedford Park Boulevard subway stations on the 4 and D lines provide access to the campus, and local buses serve the surrounding neighborhood. Students traveling from elsewhere in the metropolitan area should check the full door-to-door trip, especially if their schedule includes evening classes, clinical work, or internships. New York City's broader network of schools, hospitals, cultural organizations, and employers can be relevant to particular majors, although proximity does not itself secure a placement.

What is the mission and vision of CUNY Lehman College?

Lehman describes its mission as providing accessible public higher education, advancing knowledge, and serving the Bronx and surrounding communities. Its stated priorities include student learning, research and creative work, and civic engagement.

That purpose is reflected in the college's combination of liberal arts, professional preparation, and graduate study. The mission is a statement of institutional intent, not evidence that every student will have the same academic or career outcome. Lehman is a public CUNY institution and has no religious affiliation.