“There’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn.
Some people call it the Tree of Heaven.
No matter where its seed falls,
it makes a tree which struggles
to reach the sky.”
— Betty Smith,
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus — in the heart of downtown Brooklyn just minutes from Manhattan — is a continually evolving learning environment, pulsing with vitality. The core of its success has been its ability to change with the times and to serve new constituencies.

Our campus has been providing outstanding educational opportunities to students from all walks of life for three-quarters of a century. It is the original unit of the University, the eighth-largest private university in America, with six campuses and seven international sites.

Founded in 1926 by Brooklyn civic leaders, the Campus sought from the start to include religious and racial minorities, admitting students solely on merit. It has come a long way from the days when it enrolled 312 students. Today, our student body numbers more than 11,000. In the past decade, while other universities lost students and cut programs, our enrollment doubled and our course offerings and student services increased significantly. We credit our success to our fine academic reputation, top-notch faculty, excellent facilities and personalized student advising.

Our diverse body of students from across the U.S. and around the globe have much in common: their humanity, their thirst for knowledge and their quest for the American dream.