Established in 1964, John Jay is devoted to fostering careers in criminal justice, forensic psychology, public service, and related fields. It has about 13,000 undergraduates pursuing over 40 majors and 50 minors, the latter of which include addiction studies, fraud examination, homeland security, security management, and fire science.
Student reviewers say they can tell their professors truly care about them. In that vein, John Jay works to accommodate veterans, with more than 500 currently enrolled. It has a diverse student body featuring people from more than 130 countries. The campus is on Manhattan's West Side, and in 2011 it debuted a tower complete with smart classrooms, labs and a moot courtroom.
Despite the urban setting, John Jay still fields several teams for sports like basketball, cross country, soccer and volleyball. The mascot is the Bloodhound, and the school's gym is appropriately called the Doghouse.
Not into sports? Walk a few blocks and you're at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall. Cultural benefits don't end at graduation: As an added bonus, John Jay alumni enjoy discounted Broadway tickets.
