Some 175 years ago, Albert Gallatin, the distinguished statesman who served as secretary of the treasury under President Thomas Jefferson, declared his intention to establish "in this immense and fast-growing city...a system of rational and practical education fitting for all and graciously opened to all." Founded in 1831, New York University is now one of the largest private universities in the United States. Of the more than 3,000 colleges and universities in America, New York University is one of only 60 member institutions of the distinguished Association of American Universities.

From a student body of 108 during NYU's very first semester, enrollment has grown to more than 40,000 students attending 14 schools and colleges at five major centers in Manhattan and in more than 25 countries around the world. Today, students come from every state in the union and from 133 foreign countries. The faculty, which initially consisted of five professors and seven part-time instructors (among them artist and inventor Samuel F. B. Morse), now totals over 3,000 full-time members.

The center of NYU is its Washington Square campus in the heart of Greenwich Village. One of the city's most creative and energetic communities, the Village is a historic neighborhood that has attracted generations of writers, musicians, artists, and intellectuals. Beyond the Village, New York City becomes an extension of the University's campus.

Enrollment in the undergraduate divisions of the University ranges between 100 and 6,500. While some introductory classes have large numbers of students, many classes are small. With more than 2,500 courses offered, the University awards more than 25 different degrees.

In addition to the schools and colleges in Manhattan, the University operates branch campus programs in Westchester County at Manhattanville College and in Rockland County at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Certain of the University's research facilities, notably the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, are located in Sterling Forest, near Tuxedo, New York. Although overall the University is large, the divisions are small- to moderate-sized units—each with its own traditions, programs, and faculty.