St. John’s University will offer four-year undergraduate programs at its Manhattan campus, per a Jan. 3 release. Beginning in the Fall 2025 semester, new students can obtain Bachelor of Science degrees in business, international management, actuarial science and risk management & insurance.
The Manhattan campus, located at 101 Astor Place in the East Village, is currently home to the nationally ranked Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science. Upperclassmen and graduate students use the facilities for program classes as part of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business.
The expansion comes after the University closed its Staten Island campus in May 2024 due to a decline in enrollment.
“It’s [the Manhattan campus] still a lease that costs us more than the usage it gets and we’ve got a plan in motion to try to attract more students,” University President Rev. Brian Shanley told The Torch. “But I will never say never about trying to find a better financial deal for us in Manhattan, but haven’t seen anything that amounted to serious interest yet.”
According to the release, the University will “not be offering Manhattan housing or dining plan options as the program strives to meet the needs of students seeking a convenient and inclusive Manhattan commuter experience.” Instead, the programs are meant to aid future students in completing in-person courses at the East Village campus.
Peter J. Tobin College of Business Dean Maciek Nowak said in the release, “We have recognized the value for many of our students to offer an experience entirely in Manhattan. Students will receive the same high-quality support services of advising, career mentorship and extracurricular activities while also maintaining access to the Queens campus courses and offerings if desired.”
“If we could get a better deal in Manhattan, I think we’d have to take it,” Shanley said. “But as long we’re there, we’re going to try to grow it. So, we’re doing both.”
“If somebody wants to talk, we talk,” he continued. “And in the meantime, we’re trying to get more out of it to justify the lease.”