Established in 1964, John Jay on Manhattan’s West Side is devoted to fostering careers in criminal justice, forensic psychology, public service and related fields. It has more than 12,000 undergraduate students pursuing 35 majors and more than 50 minors, the latter of which include addiction studies, fraud examination, homeland security and fire science.
John Jay has a diverse student body, and it's a designated Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving Institution (nearly 40% of students are Hispanic and more than 20% are Black). Plus, about half the student body are the first in their families to go to college. Students can get individualized help from a few subject-specific tutoring offices, including the Math & Science Resource Center, Modern Language Center and Writing Center.
The school values affordability: It reports that 85% of its graduates leave school with no student debt and it ranks in the top 10% for strong socioeconomic mobility of all the colleges Money analyzed this year.
John Jay 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. Students who aren’t into sports can enjoy all that New York City has to offer, including Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall just a few blocks away. Cultural benefits don't end at graduation: John Jay alumni enjoy discounted Broadway tickets.
