What a friend would tell you
What Fordham is looking for
Pick your campus and say why. Rose Hill and Lincoln Center are different schools in practice (residential vs. commuter, green quad vs. Midtown), and admissions wants to see you've thought about which one fits. Fordham tracks demonstrated interest, so visit or attend virtual events. The Jesuit identity matters: weave service or ethical reasoning into your application naturally.
What students wish they'd known
Fordham lacks the cohesive campus social life of peer schools because NYC pulls students off campus constantly. Lincoln Center students especially report feeling like they attend a commuter school. The Bronx location at Rose Hill is safe on campus but not a walkable college neighborhood. Tuition is high relative to brand recognition outside the Northeast and Jesuit network.
Fordham might be a fit if...
- You want a mid-size Jesuit university embedded in New York City with two distinct campus options
- You're pre-law, pre-business, or pre-med and want NYC internship pipelines without NYU's price tag
- You value Jesuit intellectual tradition (ethics, service, reflection) alongside pre-professional ambition
Fordham Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: ED, EA, RD
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 3
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 3
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Yes (Considered)
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Optional; evaluative
Yield Rate
28%
Only 28% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Fordham, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Fordham
$68,000
Sticker Price
$24,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-blind admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 77% receive financial aid.
For context: Fordham spends about $16,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.
What Fordham Graduates Get
$54,000
Avg Starting Salary
88%
Employed or in Grad School
77%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (83%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Fordham Campus & Culture
The Campus
Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx spans 85 acres of Gothic limestone and manicured lawns behind a wrought-iron gate, a visual contradiction with the surrounding urban grid. Keating Hall, with its clock tower and stone facade, is the signature building. The Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan is a compact, modern counterpart: a few buildings stacked vertically on West 60th Street, steps from Central Park.
The Social Scene
NYC-focused; Jesuit-influenced; less party, more service; commuter-friendly; diverse
Fordham Traditions & Trivia
Victory Bell
The bell beside the Rose Hill Gymnasium came from a Japanese aircraft carrier seized after World War II, gifted by Admiral Nimitz in 1946, and President Truman was the first to ring it. It tolls after every Fordham sports victory and opens every commencement.
Candlelight Welcome
At the start of each year, incoming students gather on Edwards Parade after the Welcome Mass for a candlelighting ceremony, each student's flame lit one by one in the dark.
Academics at Fordham
What Fordham is known for
NYC location; Jesuit education; strong pre-law/pre-med; career services; commuter and residential
Most popular majors at Fordham
Standout programs
Business, Communications, Political Science, English, Pre-Law
How the curriculum works
Jesuit core with breadth; strong professional advising
Recommended high school courses
AP/IB in English, history, sciences, math
Notable Fordham Alumni
Denzel Washington
Two-time Oscar winner, Fordham class of 1977
Vince Lombardi
Legendary NFL coach, Fordham class of 1937
Mary Higgins Clark
Bestselling mystery novelist, attended Fordham
Vin Scully
Iconic Dodgers broadcaster for 67 seasons, Fordham class of 1949
John Catsimatidis
Billionaire grocery magnate, Fordham class of 1971
If you like Fordham, also consider
Boston College
similar Jesuit identity with stronger residential culture
Georgetown University
Jesuit peer with D.C. policy access and higher selectivity
New York University
same city, secular, bigger, more expensive
Loyola University Chicago
Jesuit alternative in another major city at lower cost
George Washington University
urban pre-professional competitor in D.C.