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The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art turned away roughly 81% of its 1,790 applicants in the Fall 2023 cycle — selective enough that the middle-50% ranges below deserve a careful read.
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The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art sits in New York proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. International students are a visible presence here — 10.9% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, where graduates median $139,068 four years out. Faculty pay averages $172,896 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. Most of its 842 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 91.9% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1400 and 1520 — above the NY middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
You can apply to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1400 and 1520; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 680 | 720 | 740 |
| SAT Math | 720 | 760 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 33 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art received 1,790 applications and admitted 341 (19.1%), with 180 enrolling.
How The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art compares
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | New York median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 20.7% | 70.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $46,820 | $17,408 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $83,847 | $60,236 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art student earns $83,847 — 39% above the New York median of $60,236 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art lists tuition at $46,820 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $46,820 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 842 undergraduates, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
81.1% of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art students finish a bachelor's within six years — 26.3 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $46,820 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $139,068 |
| Civil Engineering | $108,466 |
| Chemical Engineering | $100,191 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $24,920 |
Median earnings for these 4 The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $83,847 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 4 additional The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1400–1520 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 20.7% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's acceptance rate?
19.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 341 admitted from 1,790 applicants.
How much does The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art cost?
At The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, published tuition is $46,820 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's ceiling, not a quote.
What do The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $83,847 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in New York
- Helene Fuld College of Nursing — 17% admitted
- American Musical and Dramatic Academy — 24.5% admitted
- The Ailey School — 32.5% admitted
- Plaza College — 30% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.