
St. Francis College is a private college in Brooklyn, New York, founded by Franciscan Brothers in 1859. It began as St. Francis Academy, an educational institution for boys, and later developed into a college offering undergraduate and graduate study.
The college became coeducational in the twentieth century. A recent change was its move from its longtime Remsen Street location to a campus at 179 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn in 2022. That move matters to prospective students because older photographs and descriptions may show facilities the college no longer occupies.
St. Francis College offers programs across the liberal arts, sciences, business, education, and health professions. Prospective students can find undergraduate fields such as biology, psychology, criminal justice, communication, business, accounting, and nursing, as well as graduate-level options. The available credentials and course formats vary by program.
The college organizes instruction through academic departments and programs rather than a large collection of separately branded undergraduate colleges. A prospective nursing or education student should look beyond the major name: clinical placements, certification pathways, course sequencing, and admission to a professional program can impose requirements beyond admission to the college itself. The academic catalog is the appropriate place to confirm the requirements for a particular entering year.
St. Francis College's campus is at 179 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn, New York. Its urban location puts students near subway and bus connections, making public transportation a practical consideration for commuters.
The surrounding area includes courts, businesses, cultural institutions, and other colleges. Those connections may be useful for internships or part-time work, but access to an opportunity is not the same as a guaranteed placement. Students planning a commute should account for transit fares and travel time when comparing schedules and costs. John F. Kennedy International Airport is one regional option for students traveling longer distances.
St. Francis College describes its educational mission in terms of Franciscan values, academic learning, service, and respect for others. Its identity reflects its founding by the Franciscan Brothers, although students need not assume that every course or activity is religious in character.
The college's stated priorities connect classroom study with community engagement and personal development. For applicants, the useful question is how that philosophy appears in the program they would enter - for example, through a curriculum, service opportunities, or professional preparation - rather than treating a mission statement as evidence of a particular outcome.
Name of the institution
St. Francis CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Comprehensive higher education institutionMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1884St. Francis 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.
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degreeData last updated on November 2, 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.