A community of unconventional
thinkers
in a beautiful place.
Purchase College
About
If you stand out, this is where you’ll fit in.
Located just 35 miles north of NYC, our campus sits on 500 acres of fields and forests in suburban Westchester County.
We combine rigorous coursework in the liberal arts and sciences with world-class conservatory programs in the visual and performing arts.
We live on a collaborative and sustainable campus, and we work to create the kind of society we want to see in the world.
Purchase people are passionate—about everything. Globally, locally, and personally. We’re the dreamers, the DIYers, the future of arts and culture, and of the humanities and the sciences.
engage with us
what we value
Sustainability
Ranging in scale—light bulbs and plastic bottles to entire buildings—our sustainability efforts represent a core value.
Recent Sustainable Efforts
A Culture of Inclusivity
Feel the raw energy created by the amazing blend ofpoeple who unabashedly express themselves however they choose, in a judgement-free environment.
Campus Life
Proof of Purchase
Adotei Akwei ’84 is currently the Interim Chief Collaboration Officer at Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), the largest grassroots human rights organization in the world.
Before this, Akwei served as the Deputy Director for Advocacy and Government Relations for Amnesty International USA. He rejoined AIUSA in September 2010 after serving as the Senior Policy Advisor for CARE USA.
Study the Sciences
Beyond the Brick
Sophia chose Purchase for all it offers. She’s majoring in biology, but as a musician and dancer, she was drawn to the creative culture.
She’s learned scanning electron microscopy and how to use a Min-Ion handheld DNA sequencing device, cutting edge technology that allows genome study anywhere you can take a laptop.
Learn More about Study the Sciences - Beyond the Brick
“I feel prepared to go into whatever field I like.”
Latest Stories
Nationally Ranked for Graduates Who Earn PhDs
According to the National Science Foundation survey.
Latest Rankings and Ratings
Purchase College is proudly recognized by a variety of publications, including the #11 spot on U.S. News and World Report’s Top Public Schools list.
Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025: “Unique Within the SUNY System”
Purchase noted for academics, sense of community, engaged professors, and raw energy.
Proof of Purchase
Susie Essman ’77 delivered a profane and hilarious roast of legendary actor Jerry Stiller at New York City’s Friar’s Club. Seinfeld-creator Larry David found it “filthy, profane, and hilarious,” and cast her in his new HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm, set to debut the following year in 2000.
Essman turned what was supposed to be a small role into the now iconic character Susie Green, with strangers stopping her on the street to scream obscenities at their husbands over the phone.