A Hispanic & Minority Serving Institution

Student group in John Jay gear

We celebrate our identity as a Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution and are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

  • Nearly 40% of our student population identify as Hispanic and more than 20% identify as Black.
  • 50% of our students are the first in their families to go to college.
  • The Wall Street Journal ranked us among the top five multicultural and inclusive colleges in NYC.
  • Education Trust ranked us #3 nationwide for the graduation rates of Black students.
  • We're #4 for social mobility nationwide, according to US News & World Report.


We invest in programs that improve graduation rates and ensure our students thrive in college, impact their communities and lead in their careers, including:

  • The Urban Male Initiative, which supports African American and Latino males, who are underrepresented in higher education
  • MBK Connect, which offers college prep, community-building, stipend and MetroCard for men of color the summer before their first year at John Jay
  • AppleCorps, which provides a stipend, internships, service learning and professional networking for four years
  • CUNY Service Corps, through which students work on projects that improve NYC civically, economically and environmentally 
  • The Honors Program, which provides hands-on research opportunities, faculty mentorship and career/graduate school prep
  • SEEK, which provides four years of support for students who are both academically and financially disadvantaged
  • Adelante!, which introduces students to key Latinx issues and offers leadership development, career prep and financial support
  • The Pre-Law Institute, which shares opportunities like judicial internships, law school prep, LSAT prep and pre-law boot camps
  • Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep, which provides faculty mentoring and graduate school preparation for lower-income and first generation students 
  • PRISM, which prepares math and science students for success in STEM fields through hands-on research, faculty mentorship and career prep