Our Present and Our Future
The only four-year public college in the Bronx, Lehman has a 53-year history of engaging and empowering students, particularly from diverse communities. With the added boon of a transformation gift from MacKenzie Scott, we're building on that legacy and forging tools to help students create bright futures in an ever-evolving world.
LEHMAN COLLEGE LEADS THE WAY
- #1 among Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the U.S. for helping students climb the economic ladder ~ American Council on Education
- 3rd highest upward mobility rate (success at propelling lower-income graduates into the top 40 percent of wage earners nationwide) among four-year public colleges ~ The Equality of Opportunity Project
- Ranked among the top 50 “Best Bang for the Buck Colleges” in the northeast ~ Washington Monthly
OUR STUDENTS ARE MOTIVATED
- 57% are first-generation college students, who, with Lehman’s help, are realizing their academic and professional goals.
- 87% of undergraduates are students of color, mirroring the demographic profile of the Bronx, which 58% of Lehman students consider their primary residence.
- 52% enroll with a household income below $30,000 and prioritize education as a way to achieve long-term financial stability.
- 53% are bilingual and speak a language other than English at home. In fact, approximately 130 cultures are represented within Lehman’s student body
- 88% of full-time freshmen have been awarded grant or scholarship funding. That includes 85 students in the Macaulay Honors College at Lehman College and 162 scholarships totaling more than $4 million in the last three years.
- 15% are age 35 and over, modeling the value of education for their children and peers, proving that it’s never too late to earn a degree.
OUR STUDENTS ARE CELEBRATED
In the last three years, our students have received over 200 national and international awards totaling more than $4 million. Lehman was named a top producer of Fulbright students in 2021 and the #1 producer of Gilman scholars in 2020 according to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In fact, our students have won some of the most prestigious scholarships and fellowships in the nation, including:
- Boren Scholarships
- CIEE Study Abroad Scholarships
- Critical Language Scholarship
- Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship
- NSF- and NIH-funded research internships
- Schwarzman Scholarship
- Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
- Teach for America Fellowships
- The Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship
In addition, 38 students received funding to pursue graduate education at top colleges and universities, and 12 received hospital-based pre-med and pre-health research fellowships.
OUR COMMUNITY IS INSPIRING
- 37 acres serve as a Bronx oasis of green and open space, a place for Lehman College students to focus on education near home but apart from their daily responsibilities.
- 15,091 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 66 undergraduate majors and programs, over 40 master’s degree programs, one doctoral program, and 35 graduate certificate programs call the campus home.
- 2,952 bachelor’s degrees and 887 master’s degrees were awarded in 2021, launching well‐prepared students into their careers.
- 90,000 is Lehman’s goal for the number of degrees and credentials to be awarded to students by 2030.