History and Facts
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University Facts
General Information
Founded | 1870, by the Vincentian Community |
Character | A private, coeducational Roman Catholic university (Vincentian Community) |
Locations | Queens, NY Manhattan, NY Rome, Italy Paris, France Limerick, Ireland |
Undergraduate Colleges | College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences College of Professional Studies St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences The Peter J. Tobin College of Business The School of Education |
Faculty | 1,410 full- and part-time faculty 92% of full-time faculty hold their doctorate or other terminal degree. |
Unique Programs | Over 100 programs of study in Business, Education, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Professional Studies. Accelerated three-year bachelor’s degrees, five-year bachelor’s/ master’s degrees through our graduate schools, a six-year bachelor’s/J.D. through our top-tier School of Law are available, and a six-year Pharm.D. Program. |
Undergraduate Programs | www.stjohns.edu/majors |
Graduate Programs | www.stjohns.edu/gradmajors |
Internships | Make professional connections and intern in New York City. St. John’s students have interned at a wide range of organizations, including Madison Square Garden, US Secret Service, Estee Lauder, Morgan Stanley, MTV, New York Mets, SONY, and Time Inc. |
Enrollment (Fall 2022)
- Undergraduate 15,652
- Graduate 4,011
- Freshman 3,135
- Undergraduate Transfer 268
- Student-Faculty Ratio 16:1
Total enrollment represents 45 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and 118 countries.
Tuition and Financial Aid
St. John's University students receive financial assistance through scholarships, loans, grants and work/study programs. Find out more by visiting www.stjohns.edu/financialaid, www.stjohns.edu/tuition, and www.stjohns.edu/scholarships.
Residences
- Queens Campus: High-tech residence halls with Wi-Fi, lounges, study rooms, computer centers, 24-hour security, and dining halls. Townhouses are available for upperclassmen.
- International Locations: Rome and Paris locations offer outstanding academic and residential resources and are situated near Vatican City and the heart of Paris.
Alumni
St. John's has a network that includes 198,000+ living alumni, with more than 80 percent living in the New York metropolitan area. The University offers a wide range of alumni associations and chapters, receptions and outings, giving societies, and opportunities to mentor or volunteer. You can always find a way to connect and give back to the St. John’s family! Visit our Alumni & Friends page for more information.
Athletics
As a BIG EAST university with a proud athletic tradition, St. John’s has 17 NCAA Division I teams, including Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Soccer, Fencing, Tennis and Golf, Men’s Lacrosse and Baseball, and Women’s Softball, Volleyball, Track and Field, and Cross Country. Find out more by visiting www.stjohns.edu/athletics.
- Team Name: Red Storm
- Conference: BIG EAST
University Crest
The redesigned crest restores the original blue and red, liturgical colors evoking the “Blessed Virgin and the Humanity of Her Divine Son.” The white cross at its center further identifies Christ as the foundation and model for a moral, ethical character, as does the motto Ecce Agnus (“Behold the Lamb of God”), recalling St. John the Baptist’s testimony to the divinity of Christ. The fleur-de-lis symbolizes France, homeland of St. Vincent de Paul. The heart represents his commitment to charity. The escalloped shell—an ancient symbol of the sacrament of baptism—signifies St. James the Greater, titular of the cathedral of the Diocese of Brooklyn, where the University was founded. The shell also recalls a Native American name for Long Island: “Sewanhacky” (“Island of Shells”).
Especially prominent is the banner encircling the lower half of the crest. It bears the motto “Educatio Christiana Animae Perfectio” (“Christian education perfects the soul”), a testament to the ethos that guides St. John's University.
Historical Milestones
The Most Rev. John Loughlin, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn, NY, reaches out to the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) to establish “a day College where the youth of the City might find advantages of a solid education.”
The Vincentian founders purchase three former farms in north-central Brooklyn to serve as the future site of St. John’s College.
St. John’s College is founded with 47 students and six faculty on Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn.
St. John’s awards its first scholarships.
A New York State charter grants St. John’s the powers of a University.
The men’s basketball team makes its first appearance.
The School of Pedagogy is founded, admitting men and women.
The School of Pedagogy is renamed the College Extension.
The School of Law is founded.
The School of Accounting, Commerce, and Finance is established.
To accommodate growing enrollment, construction begins on the Schermerhorn Street building in downtown Brooklyn, NY.
The School of Pharmacy is established.
The name officially changes from St. John’s College to St. John’s University, Brooklyn.
The School of Accounting, Commerce and Finance is renamed the School of Commerce.
The School of Pharmacy is renamed the College of Pharmacy.
The College Extension is renamed Teachers College.
The Vincentians purchase the Hillcrest Golf Course, the future Queens, NY, campus, for the relocation of the University.
The Department of Nursing is established at Teachers College.
The Department of Nursing becomes a separate School of Nursing Education.
Teachers College separates its undergraduate and graduate divisions.
The name officially changes to St. John’s University, New York.
Construction begins on the Queens campus with St. John Hall.
Teachers College is renamed The School of Education.
Alumni Hall is formally dedicated.
The School of Commerce is renamed the College of Business Administration.
The Junior College is established.
St. Augustine Hall, the University’s hallmark building, is constructed.
The Junior College is renamed the School of General Studies.
The University acquires its Staten Island, NY, campus, formerly Notre Dame College.
The School of General Studies is renamed the College of General Studies.
The College of General Studies becomes St. Vincent’s College.
The College of Pharmacy is renamed the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.
The School of Education is renamed the School of Education and Human Services.
The first study abroad program, College Europa, launches in Budapest, Hungary.
St. John’s establishes a graduate campus in Rome, Italy, marking the beginning of the University’s global presence.
The first residence halls are completed on the Queens campus.
St. Vincent’s College is renamed the College of Professional Studies.
The College of Business Administration is renamed The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.
The University acquires The College of Insurance, which is renamed the School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, as well as its Manhattan campus at 101 Murray Street.
The School of Education and Human Services resumes its former title of The School of Education.
St. Thomas More Church, the first free-standing church on the Queens campus, is dedicated.
Alumni Hall is renamed Carnesecca Arena.