
Courtesy of Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University traces its origins to a Jewish school established in New York City in 1886. Its development into a university helps explain its present combination of Jewish studies, liberal arts, professional education and graduate research.
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary became a central part of the institution's history, and Yeshiva College opened in 1928 to combine college-level secular studies with traditional Jewish learning. Yeshiva gained university status in 1945. Stern College for Women, established in the 1950s, expanded undergraduate study for women; later additions included the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. The university's New York locations and separately organized undergraduate schools remain important to how students experience it today.
Yeshiva University offers undergraduate, graduate, professional and religious study through several schools rather than one general-purpose college. Prospective undergraduates will primarily encounter Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women and the Sy Syms School of Business.
Yeshiva College and Stern offer liberal arts and science subjects such as biology, psychology, English, mathematics and history. Sy Syms offers business fields including accounting, finance and management. Students should check which school and campus offer a particular major: the undergraduate academic structures are not interchangeable.
Graduate and professional units include the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Katz School of Science and Health, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, and Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary provides rabbinic education. The program catalog, not the university-wide list of subjects, is the place to verify a degree's curriculum and admission requirements.
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with academic activity spread across multiple urban locations. The Wilf Campus is in Washington Heights in northern Manhattan; the Beren Campus is in Midtown Manhattan; Cardozo Law is in Greenwich Village.
This geography matters in daily planning. A student's classes, residence and activities may not all be at the same site, and travel between campuses takes time. Subway and bus service make commuting possible, but schedules and late-evening trips deserve attention when selecting courses or housing. The neighborhood around each campus also differs considerably, so applicants weighing an urban setting should evaluate the location of their specific school rather than assume one unified residential campus.
Yeshiva University describes its educational mission as bringing Jewish learning and values together with study across the arts, sciences and professions. This religious and intellectual orientation is a defining feature of the institution, not a requirement that every student pursue the same degree or career.
Its undergraduate model has traditionally paired academic majors with substantial Jewish studies, while its graduate and professional schools serve a wider range of educational purposes. The university's stated aim is to prepare students for lives of learning, service and professional contribution. Applicants should examine the curriculum and campus practices of their intended school to understand how that mission affects required courses and everyday life.
Name of the institution
Yeshiva UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersYeshiva University 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.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData 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.