The Best Colleges in New York City

New York City can be an exciting and dynamic place to go to school as an undergraduate. The city offers a vibrant nightlife, astonishingly diverse art and music scene, and is home to some of the greatest-and most influential-financial and media organizations in the world.

There are a number of colleges and universities to choose from in the Manhattan area. Some of my favorites are listed below along with relevant information. Regardless of where you attend, college life in New York is something you will never forget. I greatly enjoyed my experiences as a college student living and working in the city. Also, if you are persistent, you can get your hands on an amazing internship junior or senior year in the field of your choosing.

Use your time in New York well. Don't just go out to night clubs every night and get drunk. You will find that night life becomes extraordinarily expensive after a while, so find less expensive cultural activities (art gallery showings, independent cinema screenings, etc.)

New York University (NYU) - Situated near the historic Washington Square Park, NYU offers a number of world-renowned undergraduate schools (Tisch for drama and film students; Stern for business students; Steinhardt for education majors) in addition to degrees through the school's main College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). Dorms at NYU tend to be superb and located within walking distance of campus, although some of the apartment-style dorms are situated down in the Financial District. For students living in these buildings, free shuttle buses are provided.

Columbia University - New York's Ivy League school is nestled in a beautiful campus uptown. Fraternity and sorority life is somewhat more popular at Columbia than at NYU, where Greek life is virtually non-existent.

New School - The New School University is located downtown and has a diverse range of majors. The student body tends to be artistic, interested predominantly in film, acting, journalism, and writing.

Marymount Manhattan - This mid-sized college is located in midtown Manhattan. Students tend to be interested in theatre, acting, and politics. The university is located close to the Lexington Avenue subway line and to Hunter College, another city school.

Hunter College - A part of City University of New York (CUNY system), this full-scale undergraduate school is a diamond in the rough. Tuition is affordable for in-state residents and the buildings (there are three: East, West, and North buildings) are located on Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue, a short skip away from the subway and from fellow students at Marymount Manhattan.