The Cooper Union was founded in 1859 in the East Village of Manhattan by inventor, industrialist, and social reformer, Peter Cooper. The Cooper Union is a top-ranked, all-honors college committed to making education fair and accessible to all. Every admitted undergraduate student is granted a half-tuition scholarship valued at $22,275 per year, a tuition-free senior year valued at $44,550, and need- and merit-based aid if eligible. Comprised of three schools specializing in architecture, art, and engineering, The Cooper Union offers small, intimate classes organized around a culture of collaboration led by a faculty of teachers who are also leading practitioners in their fields. Throughout its history, Cooper has been a place where thinkers, builders, artists, activists, and dreamers have thrived and contributed to New York City and the world in large and small ways—being of this world and for this world.