The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Cooper Union is among the most selective institutions in the United States and is very small: 834 undergraduates across just three schools, with an 11% overall acceptance rate for Fall 2025 that breaks down to 4% for architecture, 8% for art and 16% for engineering. It teaches nothing else — architecture, fine art and engineering only, unified by a compulsory two-year core curriculum in humanities and social sciences. Its defining feature is financial. Every enrolled undergraduate receives a half-tuition scholarship worth USD 22,275 a year automatically, with no application, which brings the sticker price down to roughly USD 22,275 before any need-based aid on top. That is a structural discount almost no other university offers, and it is the reason Cooper Union ranks first nationally for value. 12% of undergraduates are US non-residents, a high share for an institution this small. The architecture degree runs five years rather than four.