West Point, New York · Established 1871
Work that has to last.
A private undergraduate college of engineering and applied science on the heights above the Hudson, chartered in 1871.
- Founded
- 1871
- Undergraduates
- 2,180
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11:1
- Majors
- 22
The college
An engineering college on the Hudson.
South Hudson was chartered in 1871 to educate engineers for the river, the railroad, and the towns of the valley. The first class had twenty-eight students. The college now enrolls 2,180 undergraduates and has kept that original charge.
Every senior completes a project reviewed by the faculty.
Our history
The academic program
Academics01
School of Engineering
Civil, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering, with the Hudson as a working site.
02
School of Computing and Data
Computer science, data, and the systems that operate a campus and a river port.
03
School of Applied Science
Chemistry, physics, and materials science. The terrace bell was recast in these laboratories.
04
Division of Letters
Writing, the history of technology, and political economy, the sequence every undergraduate takes.
“Our students learn to design work that has to last. Living beside the Hudson is a daily reminder of what that standard requires.”
Traditions
Bell Night
On the last night of orientation the class gathers on the terrace, and the bell rings once for each house.
Campus
On the heights above the Hudson
Granite halls, a working river, and a ridge path that ends at the observatory.
Admissions
Apply by November 15
Early Decision applications are due November 15. Regular Decision applications are due January 5.
Student life
Four houses, drawn by chance.
Every new student draws a numbered brass marker from the surveyor’s chest of 1871 on Bell Night, and the marker assigns the house. Students live in four residence halls, eat at their house tables on Thursday, and row, build, and argue for the Terrace Cup.
News
All news- October 3, 2026The Mules open the home rugby seasonThe library steps were full before kickoff, and the bell rang three times afterward.
- September 25, 2026Public nights resume at the Kessler ObservatoryThe ridge observatory reopened after a summer of work on its dome.
- September 14, 2026Seniors begin a survey of the terrace wallFour civil engineering seniors will spend the year measuring the granite wall that holds up the terrace.
- September 2, 2026The campus store opens onlineSweatshirts, caps, and the Saturday polo can now be ordered from anywhere in the United States.
- August 23, 2026Bell Night welcomes the class of 2030The recast bell rang four times on its first Bell Night, once for each house.
Visit
Plan a visit.
Bookstore
Black, gold, and the monogram. Shop the store.