This year, when we announced that Hostos Community College will open a new center for its life sciences and allied health programs in the historic Bronx General Post Office building, it was a vivid symbol of CUNY\u2019s trajectory over the past year. The expansion is just one example of the story of 2025 at CUNY, a year defined by growth and innovation to meet the evolving needs of our students and city.<\/p>\n
In 2025, CUNY enrollment grew for the third straight year. The rise \u2014 4% this fall, contributing to a three-year increase of about 21,000 students \u2014 reflects the impact of our expanding partnership with New York City Public Schools as well as the launch of Governor Hochul\u2019s free community college initiative, which has bolstered our CUNY Reconnect program for adult learners returning to college.<\/p>\n
We matched that momentum with major investments in our campuses and students. We unveiled CUNY Beyond, the nation\u2019s most ambitious plan to embed career learning into every student\u2019s academic journey and ensure they graduate not only with a degree, but ready to launch careers. At Lehman College, a historic $50 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott will help bring this vision to life by expanding pathways to high-demand fields.<\/p>\n
In addition, we continued our work to build industry partnerships that help students get jobs. Nearly 10,000 CUNY students have now been hired by the city\u2019s largest private-sector employers through our five-year collaboration with the New York Jobs CEO Council.<\/p>\n
Our students continued to inspire us. Students like Stephanie Pacheco of Borough of Manhattan Community College, the 2024-25 National Youth Poet Laureate, who honored us with a poem that captured the spirit of our University:
\n\u201cDear CUNY,
\nI don\u2019t know of any other school that runs its city like you
\nThat paints its town with its face
\nlike you
\nEverywhere I turn, every building is a student
\nEvery train car is a classroom\u201d<\/p>\n
That spirit is sustained by the faculty and staff who open doors for our students every day of the year. Employees like Charlotte Henson-Butler, a 1978 graduate of Hunter College who has guided generations of CUNY students as a staff member in admissions for 44 years. Even now, she says, CUNY graduates recognize her on the street and thank her for helping them achieve their dreams. \u201cIt brings tears to my eyes to see how successful they have been,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Stephanie and Charlotte remind us that CUNY\u2019s impact is built person by person, reaching far beyond our campuses, expanding opportunity and connecting communities across the city. This year, that connection became more visible in another way when the MTA renamed one of the city\u2019s original subway stations as 23 St\u2013Baruch College. It\u2019s the seventh station to be named for a CUNY college and a reminder of how deeply CUNY is woven into the fabric of New York City and its neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, 2025 has been a year of significant growth and innovation for CUNY, marked by increased enrollment, major investments in our campuses and students, and a deepening connection to the city we serve. As we look to the future, we remain committed to providing high-quality education and career opportunities to our students, and to making a positive impact on the communities we serve.<\/p>\n
A: CUNY enrollment grew by 4% in 2025, contributing to a three-year increase of about 21,000 students.<\/p>\n
A: CUNY Beyond is the nation\u2019s most ambitious plan to embed career learning into every student\u2019s academic journey and ensure they graduate ready to launch careers.<\/p>\n
A: Nearly 10,000 CUNY students have been hired by the city\u2019s largest private-sector employers through our five-year collaboration with the New York Jobs CEO Council.<\/p>\n
A: The renaming of the 23 St\u2013Baruch College subway station is a reminder of how deeply CUNY is woven into the fabric of New York City and its neighborhoods, and is the seventh station to be named for a CUNY college.<\/p>\n
A: Matos Rodr\u00edguez is the Chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY), the largest urban public university system in the United States.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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