Educating for Justice

There is no college anywhere in the U.S. or the world quite like John Jay. Founded in 1964, John Jay College of Criminal Justice – a senior college of The City University of New York – has evolved into the preeminent international leader in educating for justice in its many dimensions. The College offers a rich liberal arts and professional curriculum that prepares students to serve the public interest as ethical leaders and engaged citizens.

Our Programs

John Jay’s academic programs balance the sciences, humanities and the arts with professional studies. The College is unique in its mission, providing rigorous course work, research, internships, community service and other learning experiences to prepare students to make a difference for themselves and others and to transform ideas into social action and leadership.

John Jay College Students

Our Students

The College’s community of over 15,000 students, in a diverse array of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, is the most diverse among the City University of New York’s senior colleges. The student body — 60% female 40% Hispanic and 25% African American — today produces leaders, scholars and heroes in policing and beyond, including forensic science, law, fire and emergency management, social work, teaching, private security, forensic psychology and corrections. John Jay is also a leader in educating our nation’s military veterans, with more than 500 currently enrolled.

Our Faculty

The John Jay faculty, about 1,100 strong, includes Pulitzer Prize-winners and widely honored scholars and experts in a variety of academic fields, with credentials from the world’s top universities. They have been recognized by their professional peers and at all levels of government for their research, writing, teaching and mentoring. Through their research – often in collaboration with students – they advance knowledge to help build and sustain just societies.

Our Impact

Set in the heart of New York City, John Jay occupies a newly expanded, state-of-the-art campus that provides a wealth of opportunities to cultivate student interests, leadership, civic engagement and cultural diversity. Laboratories and research facilities for forensic science, forensic psychology, emergency management and other disciplines add new and exciting enhancements to the overall educational experience.

Over the past 50 years, the College has added a wide range of innovative and interdisciplinary liberal arts majors and professions, but the core mission of “educating for justice” remains inviolate and unchanged. Our students learn to challenge the status quo, cultivate their passion for solving social problems and become positive agents of change. Our alumni have long held leadership roles in public-sector agencies and private companies in the U.S. and worldwide. Now and always, we educate fierce advocates for justice.

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