Touro University

What is the history of Touro University?

Touro University began in New York City as Touro College, founded in 1970 by educator Bernard Lander. It was named for Isaac and Judah Touro, whose philanthropy supported education and community institutions. The college initially emphasized higher education within a Jewish intellectual tradition and subsequently expanded into a university with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

The institution adopted the Touro University name in 2022. Its development helps explain why it does not resemble a single, self-contained college campus: schools operate at multiple locations, and programs range from liberal arts to health professions and law. Applicants should distinguish the New York-based Touro University from other institutions in the broader Touro network, including Touro University California and Touro University Nevada.

What are the faculties and departments at Touro University?

Touro University organizes its academic programs through undergraduate colleges and professional and graduate schools rather than one set of departments at a single campus. Its New York offerings include liberal arts and sciences, business, education, health sciences, social work, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and law.

Undergraduate options include programs associated with the New York School of Career and Applied Studies and the Lander colleges. Depending on the school, students can pursue fields such as biology, computer science, psychology, accounting, and nursing. Graduate and professional offerings include teacher preparation, physician assistant and other health-professions study, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and legal education.

The school matters as much as the major when comparing options: admissions rules, instructional sites, clinical placements, calendars, and tuition can differ. An applicant should identify the exact degree-granting school and credential before applying.

What is the location of Touro University?

Touro University is based in New York City, but its students do not all attend one campus. Its academic locations include sites in Manhattan and other parts of the New York region, with the location determined by the school and program.

The urban setting gives students access to public transit and to potential clinical, educational, legal, and business placements. It also makes commuting time and housing costs consequential. A student taking classes at one site should not assume that a service, event, or facility advertised elsewhere in the university is within walking distance. Applicants comparing programs should check the address of required classes and placements, not only the university's New York City address.

What is the mission and vision of Touro University?

Touro University describes its educational mission in terms of academic opportunity, professional preparation, service, and respect for its Jewish heritage. Its origins in Jewish higher education remain part of its institutional identity, while its schools enroll students across backgrounds and fields of study.

That heritage can affect the character and calendars of particular schools, but students should not assume that every program has identical religious-study requirements or campus practices. The relevant school's catalog is the best place to check curriculum, academic-calendar, and conduct requirements. The mission expresses the university's stated priorities; it is not, by itself, evidence of any particular student outcome.