The New School

The New School is a private liberal arts university founded in 1919 and located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. 1 The university is comprised of six different colleges: the Parsons School of Design (formerly its own separate school), the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the College of Performing Arts (including the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and the Mannes classical conservatory), the New School for Social Research, the Schools of Public Engagement, and Parsons Paris. As of 2024, it was estimated to have roughly 10,000 full-time students of whom 6,907 were undergraduate students. 2 3

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Organization
Ideological Alignment: None
Website: www.newschool.edu
Formation:

1919

President:

Joel Towers

Subsidiary Organization(s):

Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility

Location: New York, NY View on map

Contents

    In 2020, the New York Times reported that the New School was facing a shortfall of $130 million at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and had planned to draw nearly $80 million from its endowment to pay much of its debt. 4 By December 2025 the NYT reported the school faced $50 million in losses by the 2025-2026 fiscal year. In addition, Dissent Magazine reported that the school would focus on its arts and design school while making budget cuts and staff layoffs within its history and social science courses in addition to a 20 percent decrease in enrollment at the school between 2021 and 2025. 5

    Background

    The New School is a private liberal arts university founded in 1919 and located in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York. 1 The university is comprised of six different colleges: the Parsons School of Design (formerly its own separate school), the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the College of Performing Arts (including the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and the Mannes classical conservatory), the New School for Social Research, the Schools of Public Engagement, and Parsons Paris. 2

    As of 2024, it was estimated to have roughly 10,000 full-time students of whom 6,907 were undergraduate students. 2 3 That year, it was estimated to have a 63 percent acceptance rate, and the base cost of tuition with fees was $56,386 for the 2023-2024 school year. 3 6 7

    History

    The New School was founded in 1919 by historians Charles Beard and James Harvey Robinson, democratic socialist philosopher John Dewey, and economist Thorstein Veblen. Its first lecturers included economist John Maynard Keynes, philosopher of science Bertrand Russell, and Black historian W.E.B. Du Bois. 8 9

    The institution was initially created as a training center for students whom the New School’s founders argued would challenge traditional educational standards set by Ivy League universities. 4 8 The school taught Hannah Arendt, Jacques Derrida, and Erich Fromm. 4 Other notable individuals who have studied at the school include actor Marlon Brando, former Prime Minister and President of Israel Shimon Peres, and playwright Tennessee Williams. 10 9

    The school has advocated in favor of left-of-center priorities, 9 claiming it is committed to advancing initiatives promoting “equity, inclusion, and social justice (EISJ),” “social engagement,” “economic empowerment,” and “creating a more equitable, inclusive, and socially just environment.” 11 12 13

    By December 2025 the NYT reported the school faced $50 million in losses by the 2025-2026 fiscal year. In addition, Dissent Magazine reported that the school would focus on its arts and design school while making budget cuts and staff layoffs within its history and social science courses in addition to a 20 percent decrease in enrollment at the school between 2021 and 2025. 5

    Activities

    The New School is a member of Project Pericles, a network of left-of-center universities founded by New School donor Eugene M. Lang, and is financially supported by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Mellon Foundation, and the Teagle Foundation. 14 15

    The school is home to the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, a scholarship grantmaking hub for academics that provides funding towards initiatives supporting “climate refugees.” 16

    Community Activism

    Labor Strikes

    In November 2022 several part-time faculty members at the New School went on a three-week strike demanding higher pay and benefits that led to classes being cancelled due to roughly 90 percent of school faculty being part-time professors at the time. Full-time professors also cancelled their classes, and several students joined in the demonstrations which involved blocking school entryways. The faculty were represented by the ACT-UAW Local 7902, which also represents New York University (NYU) adjunct faculty. Parents of enrolled students threatened to sue the school, and striking faculty called for the resignation of university president Dwight A. McBride. 17

    After three weeks of protest, a new contract for part-time faculty was agreed that would guarantee a 13 percent pay raise within the first year of employment and up to 36 percent increase by the fifth year. The new contract also included out-of-classroom compensation for travel and living costs. 17

    President McBride also resigned following criticism of his $15 million townhouse provided by the school and his $1,148,000 salary at the time.  As of 2024, McBride was the Geral Early Distinguished Professor and senior advisor to the chancellor at Washington University St. Louis. 18

    2024 Pro-Palestinian Encampment

    In May 2024, New School faculty set up a pro-Palestinian encampment on school grounds to protest the Israel-Hamas war. Being described by the New York Times as “the first professor-led” demonstration of its kind, the encampment was constructed in the lobby of the main university building and consisted of tents and signs with messages “Faculty Against Genocide” and “All Eyes on Rafah.” These demonstrations were preceded by similar student-led encampments. 1

    Funding

    In 2020, the New York Times reported that the New School was facing a shortfall of $130 million at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and was planning to draw nearly $80 million from its endowment to manage it. 4 In February 2024, the Times reported that the school was looking to sell its $20 million Greenwich Village presidential townhouse as a means of paying off the debt. 19

    Leadership

    As of 2024, Joel Towers was the president of the New School. He joined the school as a faculty member of urban ecology and sustainable design in 2004. 20

    In 2024, its board of trustees included Linda E. Rapport of the A&O Shearman law firm, Susquehanna International Group founding partner Steven H. Bloom, Altos de Chavon Cultural Center Foundation founder Dominique Bluhdorn, head of distribution at Sextant Capital Solutions Christopher Castano, retired managing director of Deutsche Bank Jane DeFlorio, Manhattan real estate developer Douglas Durst, head of credit at BC Partners Ted Goldthorpe, chief design officer of the Medicines Company Nancye Green, retired president and CEO of the Warnaco Group Joseph R. Gromek, chairman of Newmark Family Properties Jeffrey Gural, president of Havemeyer Management Services William H. Havemeyer, chief people officer of the Community Preservation Corporation Monique D. Jefferson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hospitality Sheila C. Johnson, retired partner of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Bevis Longstreth, executive vice president of Extell Development Company Anthony Mannarino, managing principal of Cloudpoint Capital Daniel T. Motulsky, counsel of A&O Shearman Robert H. Mundheim, former chairman and CEO of Avon Products and Duracell International Charles R. Perrin, former CEO of AMC Networks Josh Sapan, chief commercial officer of WHP Global Stanley P. Silverstein, chairman of Acertas and Senturion Forecasting Elliot Stein, CEO of Kay Unger Family Foundation Kay Unger, IBM emeritus researcher Lilian Shiao-Yen Wu, and partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel Wiliam D. Zabel. 21

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    References

    1. Fadulu, Lola; Roberts-Grmela, Julian. “After Student Encampment Ends, New School Professors Set Up Their Own.” The New York Times, May 10, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/10/nyregion/new-school-faculty-protest-encampment.html.
    2. “Our Colleges and Schools.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/academics/our-colleges/.
    3. “The New School.” US News and World Report. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/the-new-school-20662.
    4.  Bellafante, Ginia. “This School Was Built for Idealists. It Could Use Some Rich Alumni.” The New York Times, October 16, 2020. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/nyregion/new-school-nyc-endowment-layoffs.html.
    5. Varon, Jeremy. “What’s Left of The New School?” Dissent Magazine, August 27, 2026. https://dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/new-school-fired-faculty-austerity/
    6. “The New School.” The Princeton Review. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.princetonreview.com/grad/new-school-9193654#!tuition.
    7. “The New School.” College Navigator – the National Center for Education Statistics, June 24, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240624004653/https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=The+New+School&s=all&id=193654#expenses.
    8. Editors of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. “The New School.” Britannica. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-New-School.
    9. “History.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/about/history/.
    10. “Our History – College of Performing Arts.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/drama/our-history/.
    11. “Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/eisj/.
    12. “Mission and Vision.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/about/mission-vision/.
    13. “About Us.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/about/.
    14. “Colleges & Universities.” Project Pericles. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.projectpericles.org/colleges–universities.html.
    15. “About – Overview.” Project Pericles. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.projectpericles.org/overview.html.
    16. “ Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/centers-institutes-labs/zolberg-institute-on-migration-mobility/.
    17.  De Freytas-Tamura, Kimiko. “Strike Ends at the New School and Parsons School of Design.” The New York Times, December 11, 2022. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/nyregion/new-school-nyc-adjunct-strike.html.
    18. Rodriguez-Mora, Bianca. “Dwight A. McBride to step down as The New School President at the end of the summer.” New School Free Press, June 8, 2023. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2023/06/08/dwight-a-mcbride-to-step-down-as-the-new-school-president-at-the-end-of-the-summer/.
    19. Marino, Vivian. “The New School Lists Its Greenwich Village Townhouse for $20 Million.” The New York Times, February 16, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/realestate/new-school-exclusive-townhouse-west-village.html.
    20. “A Message from President Towers.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/about/university-leadership/president/.
    21. “Board of Trustee Members.” The New School. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/about/university-leadership/board-of-trustees-members/.