During the spring semester, the American Talent Initiative (ATI)—an offshoot of the esteemed nonprofit The Aspen Institute—along with Bloomberg Philanthropies, designated Baruch College as an “ATI high-flier.”
The status denotes Baruch as a high-graduation-rate institution leading progress toward equitable education for lower-income students. Baruch is one of only 28 “high-flier” U.S. colleges and universities, a short list that includes other prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and Yale University.
“There are very few colleges in the country like Baruch,” says Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program with The Aspen Institute.
In addition, the College received high marks in ATI’s 2023 annual report, prompting New York Times columnist David Leonhardt to call Baruch “an upward-mobility machine” in an April edition of his popular Times newsletter, “The Morning.”
Leonhardt writes, “Among all U.S. colleges with a graduation rate above 70 percent, Baruch may be the most economically diverse.” He goes on to share that more than 60 percent of Baruch students receive Pell grants, while nearly 75 percent of Baruch students are people of color.
Baruch President S. David Wu has acknowledged the numerous issues college students face, including burdensome student debt and increasing tuition costs, all of which inform the College’s mission to serve a broader population of students.
“Baruch is joining forces with ATI, The Aspen Institute, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to meet these challenges head-on,” President Wu says. “We share a goal: to ensure that traditionally underrepresented and underserved students have access to a world-class education paired with top-notch career and student services—which will prepare them to be creative, collaborative, and pioneering leaders in tomorrow’s economy.”
Baruch’s excellence is notable considering the diverse student population the College serves. “Our diversity,” President Wu says, “very much reflects the diversity of New York.”
—MOLLY TURNER