Cooper Union exploits New York's diversity and resources as its extended campus. Student artists, sculptors and photographers study in the great museums, visit studios and galleries and work at a wide range of art internships. The School of Architecture taps in to New York's architectural community and the rich legacy is built on the environment. Engineering students have unparalleled opportunities to study the challenges posed for their discipline by one of the most complex cities in the world.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is situated on the edge of Manhattan's East Village, within easy walking distance of Washington Square Park and the bookstores, galleries and film houses of Greenwich Village. Students have the opportunity to take advantage of Cooper Union's location in New York City, an international cultural center and the information hub of the country. New York offers extraordinary resources and stimuli for learning—great museum collections; performances by orchestras, chamber music groups, jazz musicians, and dance companies; constant exposure to the work of artists from all over the world in the galleries of SoHo, Greenwich Village, and upper Manhattan; the curricula and public programs of nearby colleges and universities; and the ever-changing street life of the city itself.