Pratt Institute was established in 1887 by American industrialist, Charles Pratt, as a private, nonsectarian, non-profit institution of higher learning. The Institute was one of the first of the country to open its doors to all people, regardless of their color, class, or gender. Pratt is best known for its undergraduate and Master's degree programs in architecture, interior design, and industrial design. Today, Pratt is recognized as one of the top 25% of all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Currently, over 4,600 students are attending Pratt.
Notable alumni of the institute include Terrence Howard, Betsey Johnson, William Van Alen, and Robert Redford.
Pratt Institute's main campus is located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn between Dekalb Avenue and Myrtle Avenue from Hall Street to Classon Avenue. The institute is reachable by the bus (specifically the B38 or B54 bus route) or by train (specifically the G Train stop at Clinton - Washington Avenues). Student may also choose to use New York City's public bike-share program, Citi Bike, to reach the campus. The Brooklyn campus is very park-like and is accessible by two public entrances which are guarded by security 24 hours a day.
Pratt Institute also has satellite campus located in Manhattan at 144 West 14th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue. The Manhattan campus is home to Pratt's associate degrees program in graphic design, illustration, and digital design and interactive media. Students are expected to commute between the two campuses should they have classes on both campus. The commute from the Manhattan campus to the Brooklyn campus is about a 30-35 minutes ride on the G and L train.
Unlike a lot of other colleges within the city, Pratt is a residential campus. The institute currently offers six different residence hall options and 13 townhouses. All seven residence hall are located within the Brooklyn campus within a 10 minute walk of each other. There are currently three residence halls that are primarily a freshmen residence hall (Cannoeer Court, Leo J. Pantas Hall, and Vincent A. Stabile Hall). The other four are mainly for upperclassman of the undergraduate program and by graduate students. Over 1,700 students currently live within the Pratt housing accommodations.
Since the residence halls are located on campus, there really is no reason for students to commute with the exception of those who have classes in the Manhattan campus. The amount of time it takes to travel from the Brooklyn campus to the Manhattan campus is around 30-35 minutes.
While over 92% of incoming freshmen students live on campus, only 51% of undergraduate students choose to remain living on campus after freshmen year. In total, that's only 30% of Pratt students. Most students will move off-campus to neighborhoods such as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and or Fort Greene.
Regardless of where you choose to live as an alumni, transportation is always considered easy. The campus and neighborhoods are easy to reach via local buses or the metro.
For those interested in finding housing near Pratt's Brooklyn or Manhattan campus. Check out our Interactive HeatMaps to find more information on average rental prices in each neighborhood.
Those who choose to remain in the city will either continue living within Brooklyn or move into Manhattan to be closer to work. Popular neighborhoods within Manhattan include Hell's Kitchen, East Village, or Upper East Side for fresh graduates.
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Here are some other useful resources that you may need:
Transportation maps:
Real Estate Firms located physically around Pratt Brooklyn campus:
Pratt Site
Pratt Admissions
Pratt Residential Life and Housing Services
Pratt Off-Campus Living Resources