St. Francis College

The academic offering at St. Francis is pragmatic and focused on direct pathways to careers, anchored by a liberal arts core grounded in the institution's Franciscan values of "spiritual and moral values, physical fitness, social responsibility, and life-long learning." The college offers over 70 degree programs with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. Nursing is the undisputed powerhouse major, consistently cited as the most popular and well-known program. Other popular majors include Business, Biology, Psychology, and Communications. The curriculum is designed to be interdisciplinary where applicable, with some majors explicitly "designed for students interested in a variety of disciplines." The first-year retention rate is 73%, a key indicator of student satisfaction and support. The six-year graduation rate, per the college's own fast facts, is 54%.

Student life at St. Francis is active and woven into its urban Brooklyn setting. The college fosters a "vibrant campus life" with more than 35 student clubs and organizations, including cultural and religious groups, and fraternities and sororities. The Office of Student Life encourages students to build a "lifelong community" by nurturing a range of interests. The campus itself is a vertical, modern building at 179 Livingston Street in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, placing students immediately adjacent to major subway hubs, Brooklyn's civic center, and the borough's commercial and cultural districts. Social media portrayals highlight an "incredible student life experience" with events and activities that encourage socializing and networking. The atmosphere is described as diverse, welcoming, and strengths-based, aiming to be a "home" for students during their studies.

Outcomes at St. Francis are a mixed picture, reflective of its mission to serve a broad population. The college's own 2024-25 Fast Facts report shows a six-year graduation rate of 54%, with a four-year rate of 38% and a five-year rate of 50%. Post-graduate surveys of the May 2024 class indicate that approximately 40% of graduates had secured employment at the time of reporting, with an additional 12% planning to attend graduate school. External sources place the overall graduation rate in the low 50s, positioning it below the national midpoint for four-year colleges. According to the CANONICAL FIGURES provided, the median earnings ten years after entry are $58,099.

St. Francis College is aggressive in using institutional aid to make attendance feasible for its student body, with 99% of students receiving some form of financial aid. The average financial aid package is reported to be around $17,187 to $20,003. The college offers a range of merit-based scholarships for accepted students, typically ranging from $10,000 to $18,500 for those with strong academic profiles, though some scholarships start as low as $600 for students with a GPA of 71 or higher. The net price—the average cost after grants and scholarships—is reported by various sources to be between $18,129 (the canonical figure) and $22,766. The college strongly encourages all applicants (except international students) to apply for financial aid, noting that even those who don't think they qualify may be eligible for grants. There is no indication in the provided sources of a policy that meets 100% of demonstrated need or a no-loan financial aid policy; standard federal and state loan programs are part of the aid offering.

St. Francis College stands out for its unwavering commitment to being an engine of upward mobility in one of the world's most dynamic cities. It rejects the elite model of higher education, instead offering a high-touch, values-driven education rooted in Franciscan principles of community and service to a predominantly local and diverse student body. Its identity is inextricably linked to Brooklyn—the campus isn't a secluded quad but a vertical hub in a bustling downtown, making the city itself a classroom and a network. While its graduation rates reflect the challenges its students often face, its focus on high-demand, practical majors like nursing creates clear pathways to stable, middle-class careers. This is not a college for those seeking a cloistered, traditional residential experience; it's for pragmatic, driven students who want to earn a degree and build a life in the heart of New York City, supported by a close-knit community.