
Courtesy of University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private university founded in 1920 as New Haven YMCA Junior College. It began by offering education to students in the New Haven area and later expanded well beyond its original junior-college role.
The institution became New Haven College, moved to its present West Haven campus in 1960, and adopted the University of New Haven name in 1970. Its development helps explain its current mix of liberal arts, engineering, business, health, and criminal justice programs. The university's roots are in New Haven, but its main campus is in West Haven; applicants should not confuse the two locations.
The University of New Haven organizes its academic programs across five principal colleges and schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Pompea College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, and the School of Health Sciences.
Undergraduates can explore fields ranging from biology, communication, and psychology to accounting, mechanical engineering, criminal justice, and public health. Graduate study includes professional and research-oriented programs in several of those areas. The university places particular emphasis on applied learning, but the availability of internships, laboratories, clinical placements, or other hands-on experiences depends on the program.
Applicants comparing majors should consult the catalog for the specific degree and year of entry. A broad subject name does not establish whether a program has a separate admission process, professional accreditation, licensure pathway, or required placement.
The university's main campus is in West Haven, Connecticut, near the city of New Haven and the Long Island Sound shoreline. This is a suburban campus with access to a larger urban area rather than a campus in downtown New Haven.
Regional rail service through New Haven and nearby highway connections can matter to commuters, students seeking internships, and those traveling home. Travel time still depends on schedules and the distance between a station, placement, or residence and campus. Students considering an off-campus job or clinical assignment should check the actual trip, not just the distance on a map.
The university describes its educational mission in terms of preparing students for purposeful lives through learning that includes experience, collaboration, and discovery. Its stated approach connects classroom study with opportunities to apply knowledge outside class.
That is an institutional aim, not a guarantee that every student will complete an internship or obtain a particular outcome. Prospective students can test how the mission works in practice by examining a major's required courses, experiential-learning rules, advising arrangements, and access to placements. The University of New Haven is a private institution and is not presented as having a religious affiliation.
Name of the institution
University of New HavenLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1920University of New Haven is institutionally accredited by the New England 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.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Certificate of at least 2 years, but less than 4 years
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData 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.