Welcome to Baruch College
With our origins in the Free Academy, the nation’s first free public institution of higher education established in 1847, Baruch College has a long and storied history of advocating and pioneering for change in public higher education.
The vision for Baruch is audacious and sets it apart from the norms in higher education. Baruch demands academic standards and rigor comparable to any top U.S. institution while providing affordable access to students who are largely underrepresented in higher education. This distinction echoes a central theme in my thinking about Baruch’s character: We are an institution that creates opportunities, demands excellence, and delivers outcomes. In this way, Baruch is poised to lead in the shifting landscape of higher education.
As our core mission, Baruch College is a place of opportunity and exploration where students, faculty, and staff transform their futures, their professions, and their communities. Leveraging the dynamism and global connectiveness of New York City, our diverse and inclusive community is driven by learning, innovative knowledge creation, and intellectual discovery for local and global impact.
Our students are strivers and achievers, tomorrow’s leaders and professionals. Our world-class faculty approach teaching and research synergistically to achieve greater impact in knowledge creation, appropriation, and dissemination. Our talented staff are committed to our students’ success as their own success. A vast network, our alumni are true change agents making a difference all around the world.
Baruch’s ambitious strategic plan—conceived by our community—defines our collective vision and aspirations and positions us well for the future. I encourage you to learn more about the plan, its vision, core values, and strategic priority areas here.
This is an exciting time at Baruch. I hope you will join us on this journey, and I welcome your thoughts, questions, and ideas. Let’s connect and start a conversation at president@baruch.cuny.edu.
S. David Wu, PhD
President, Baruch College