Fordham University
Bronx, NY
U.S. News 2026 National Universities rank: #97
Fordham is a Catholic, Jesuit university founded in 1841, with two main undergraduate campuses in New York City: Rose Hill, an 85-acre Gothic-style campus in the Bronx next to the New York Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo, and Lincoln Center, a compact vertical campus in Manhattan a block from Central Park. Every undergraduate completes Fordham's Core Curriculum, a set of required courses in philosophy, theology, history, and the sciences that reflects the school's Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person. There is no fraternity or sorority system on campus. Students choose from more than 70 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs, and can pursue a five-year 3-2 engineering dual-degree with Columbia or Case Western Reserve. Fordham has become a leader in study abroad, with over half of undergraduates spending time abroad through more than 100 programs. Its Gabelli School of Business and Rose Hill's proximity to the Bronx Zoo and Little Italy on Arthur Avenue are distinct features that set the two campuses apart in feel. Athletically, Fordham competes in NCAA Division I, mostly in the Atlantic 10 Conference, with football in the Patriot League. Students choosing Fordham are typically drawn to its Jesuit values, small-class instruction, and direct access to New York City's internship and cultural opportunities, while trading a conventional sprawling campus quad for an urban setting split across two boroughs.
Key figures
- Acceptance Rate (Overall): 59.3%
- Average Net Price (Federal Aid Recipients): $44,338
- 6-Year Graduation Rate: 81.9%
- Median Starting Salary: $51,779
- Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 10,512
- SAT Middle 50% (composite midpoint): 1418
- Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 13.6