Apply to the
Cooper Union

Applying to The Cooper Union

students on the stoop of the foundation building

Students on the Stoop of the Foundation Building
school of engineering students in the electrical engineering lab

School of Engineering Students in the Lab
student in her art studio

School of Art Student in their Studio
students in the cooper cafe

Students at the Cooper Café
School of Art Senior Show Preparation

School of Art Senior Show Prep
School of Engineering Students and Faculty

School of Engineering Students and Faculty
school of architecture student in the studio

School of Architecture Student in the 3rd Floor Studio
students in the library

Students in the Library
students on the alumni terrace

Students on the Alumni Terrace
humanities and social sciences class

Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Class
students hanging out in the east village in front of a graffitied wall

Students off campus in our East Village Neighborhood

Our Applications are LIVE! 

Application Deadlines 

UNDERGRADUATE

Early Decision

  • Albert Nerken School of Engineering: November 1
  • Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture: December 1
  • School of Art: December 1

Regular Decision

  • All three schools: January 5

GRADUATE

  • Master of Science in Architecture: January 5
  • Master of Engineering: January 15

Application Instructions

The Cooper Union uses the Common App for first-year undergraduate applicants. All transfer and graduate applicants apply through the Cooper Application. Our standardized test requirements vary per school. Please visit the pages below for school-specific application steps. 

First Year

Transfer

Masters

Non-Matriculating Student Programs

AI and Your Application

The use of AI is becoming more common, but it should strictly serve as a tool for creative brainstorming, idea refinement, or resume building—not as a direct representation of your work. Using AI-generated content without modification is considered plagiarism. This includes, but is not limited to, AI-generated drawings, statements, essays, or responses to prompts. While gaining inspiration from AI and other sources can be helpful, presenting anyone else's work, including that of AI, as your own is unacceptable. The work you present must be a reflection of your thoughts and efforts.

For more information, please download our publications, schedule a campus tour, and check out some student work.

Learn more about our admissions policy and practice and need to know information based on The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.