About this property
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in France. The school was built on a radical new model of American higher education based on Cooper's belief that an education "equal to the best technology schools established" should be accessible to those who qualify, independent of their race, religion, sex, wealth or social status, and should be "open and free to all". The college is divided into three schools: the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. It offers undergraduate and master's degree programs exclusively in the fields of architecture, fine arts (undergraduate only), and engineering, with a shared core curriculum in the humanities and social sciences. The Cooper Union was one of very few American institutions of higher learning to offer a full-tuition scholarship to every admitted student, a practice it discontinued in 2014, instead offering a half-tuition scholarship to each admitted student. As of 2024, nearly half of its undergraduate students were attending on a tuition-free basis. In September 2024 the school announced that for the next four years, all students (including current students) would not pay tuition for their senior year.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Cooper Union listed on the National Register?
Cooper Union was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Cooper Union?
Cooper Union is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Cooper Union a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Cooper Union has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Cooper Union?
The period of significance for Cooper Union is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1859.
Can I research the history near Cooper Union?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cooper Union will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Cooper Union will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.