| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private college with campus and online programs: certificates, associate and bachelor’s degrees, an MBA and an MSN |
| Campuses | 4 in 2 states: Midtown Manhattan, NY; Newark, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ; plus Berkeley College Online, open to residents of all 50 states (October 2026) |
| Institutions | Berkeley College New York and Berkeley College New Jersey, each separately eligible for federal aid |
| Credentials | Health certificates (New Jersey only); AAS; BBA, BS, BFA and BSN; MBA; MSN |
| Program length | Health certificates 30 to 75 weeks; LPN to BSN 120 credits over 7 full-time semesters |
| Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); the catalog says it was last reaffirmed in June 2018, with the next evaluation visits in February–March 2027 |
| 2026-27 tuition | $30,200 a year full-time for degrees, the same in every state and online; certificates $17,900 to $38,000 |
| Federal aid | Yes, at both institutions; GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon |
| Ownership | Private, for-profit |
| Founded | 1931, as The Berkeley School, in New Jersey |
| Students | About 4,150 in fall 2024 (federal IPEDS data); about half of New Jersey and two-thirds of New York undergraduates studied entirely online |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A for-profit college in New York and New Jersey
Berkeley College is a private, for-profit college that started in 1931 as The Berkeley School in New Jersey. It runs as two institutions, each with its own federal aid eligibility: Berkeley College New Jersey, with its main campus and administrative headquarters in Woodland Park, and Berkeley College New York, based on East 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan. Most programs are associate and bachelor’s degrees in business, design, criminal justice and IT; the clinical health and nursing programs are taught only in New Jersey. Federal IPEDS data put enrollment at about 4,150 in fall 2024, and many undergraduates study entirely through Berkeley College Online.
Berkeley has closed several campuses. Brooklyn closed in September 2019, White Plains was folded into the Manhattan campus in August 2021, and Paramus closed in June 2022; Clifton and Dover, NJ closed in 2016 and 2018. The International Business BBA takes no new applicants from Fall 2026.
Programs at Berkeley’s four campuses and online
Program pages say most degrees are offered by both institutions, with courses on campus and online as set in each semester’s course schedule. Where a program is taught comes from each campus’s program list (October 2026). “Degree tuition” means the full-time rate of $30,200 a year for 2026-27.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Prepares for / accreditation | 2026-27 price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nurse | Certificate | 50 credits; 60 weeks day or 75 weeks evening | Woodland Park, NJ | NCLEX-PN; approved by the NJ Board of Nursing | $38,000 |
| LPN to BSN | BSN | 120 credits; 7 full-time semesters | Woodland Park, NJ | NCLEX-RN; accredited by the NJ Board of Nursing; licensed LPNs only | Degree tuition + $500/semester BSN fee |
| Medical Assistant | Certificate; AAS | Certificate 33 credits, 45 weeks; AAS 60 credits, from 60 weeks | Newark, Woodbridge, Woodland Park, NJ (not online) | CMA exam; certificate accredited by CAAHEP | Certificate $23,200 |
| Patient Care Technician | Certificate | 30 weeks | Newark, Woodbridge, Woodland Park, NJ | CPCT, CET, CPT exams; BLS | $17,900 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certificate | 30 weeks | Newark, Woodbridge, Woodland Park, NJ | CRCST | $17,900 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 60 credits; about 2 years | Woodland Park, NJ | CST exam named in catalog; not programmatically accredited since CAAHEP withdrew accreditation on 16 Jan 2025 | Degree tuition |
| Health Sciences | AAS | – | Newark, Woodbridge, Woodland Park, NJ | Patient care and sterile processing certificate credits count toward it | Degree tuition |
| Health Services Management | AAS, BBA | – | New Jersey campuses; online | IACBE | Degree tuition |
| Medical Insurance, Billing and Coding | AAS | – | Online | “Field-specific certification examinations”; internship | Degree tuition |
| Management; General Business | AAS, BBA; BBA | – | All 4 campuses (General Business not at Newark); online | IACBE | Degree tuition |
| Accounting; Business Analytics | AAS, BBA; BBA | – | Woodland Park, NJ; online | IACBE (accounting) | Degree tuition |
| Marketing; Fashion Merchandising and Management | AAS, BBA | – | Midtown, Woodbridge, Woodland Park; online | IACBE | Degree tuition |
| Financial Services | AAS, BBA | – | Online only | IACBE | Degree tuition |
| Information Technology Management | AAS, BS | – | Newark, Woodland Park; online | No vendor certification named | Degree tuition |
| Justice Studies – Criminal Justice | AAS, BS | – | All 4 campuses; online | – | Degree tuition |
| Legal Studies | AAS, BS | – | Woodland Park, NJ; online | No ABA approval claimed | Degree tuition |
| Interior Design | AAS, BFA | BFA about 4 years full-time | Midtown, Woodland Park; online | CIDA (Woodland Park BFA only); BFA meets NCIDQ education requirement | Degree tuition |
| Graphic Design; 3D Digital Visualization | AAS, BFA; BFA | – | Midtown, Woodland Park; online | – | Degree tuition |
| Media Communications | BS | – | Woodland Park, NJ; online | – | Degree tuition |
| MBA in Management | MBA | – | Midtown; online | IACBE | $1,195 per credit |
| MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner | MSN | – | Woodland Park, NJ (delivery not confirmed) | CCNE | $1,125 per credit |
Management and General Business students choose concentrations such as entrepreneurship, human resources, project management, supply chain, AI and machine learning, or business analytics; these are not separate degrees. Berkeley also runs a non-credit Core Paralegal Certificate online. Information Technology Management covers network security, databases and web design, and its BS has a cyber security concentration.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nurse (Woodland Park)
The Practical Nurse certificate is 50 credits and is taught only at Woodland Park. Day students finish in four terms (60 weeks) and evening students in five terms (75 weeks). Applicants sit the HESI A2 entrance exam with its critical-thinking section ($75). Before clinical placements students must pass a background check and drug screen, show their immunizations and buy malpractice insurance. Supplies are estimated at $945. The program is approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and leads to the NCLEX-PN.
LPN to BSN (Woodland Park)
This is a bridge, not an entry-level nursing degree. Applicants need an active LPN license and 2,080 hours of LPN work in the last two years, plus a HESI A2 score. The BSN is 120 credits over seven full-time semesters and is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing; graduates take the NCLEX-RN. Students pay a $500 BSN fee each semester on top of degree tuition, and supplies run about $1,216.50.
Medical Assistant (New Jersey campuses)
There are two versions: a 33-credit certificate designed for 45 weeks, and a 60-credit AAS that takes as little as 60 weeks and also awards the certificate. Both include a practicum monitored by faculty, and clinical rules on background checks and immunizations apply. The program is taught at Newark, Woodbridge and Woodland Park and is not offered online. CAAHEP’s accreditation covers the certificate, which prepares students for the CMA exam. Supplies are estimated at $755 to $881.
Surgical Technology (Woodland Park)
The Surgical Technology AAS is 60 credits over about two years, including two operating-room clinical practicums of 5 credits each. Applicants take the HESI A2 exam, and clinical rules on background checks, drug screens and immunizations apply. An online version is open only to surgical technologists who are already certified. CAAHEP withdrew the program’s accreditation effective 16 January 2025, and it is currently not programmatically accredited, although the catalog still names the NBSTSA CST exam.
Patient Care and Sterile Processing Technician
Both are 30-week certificates taught at Newark, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, and the credits from either count toward the AAS in Health Sciences. Patient Care Technician prepares students for the CPCT, CET and CPT certification exams and Basic Life Support. Sterile Processing Technician follows HSPA standards and prepares for the CRCST. Berkeley’s page also mentions a sterile processing specialization online; ask what it covers. Supply estimates are $815 to $938 (PCT) and $733 to $874 (SPT).
Interior Design and the design degrees
Interior Design is offered as an AAS and a BFA at Midtown Manhattan, Woodland Park and online. The BFA takes about four years full-time and meets the education requirement for the NCIDQ exam, but only the Woodland Park BFA is accredited by CIDA. Graphic Design (AAS or BFA) covers motion graphics and animation, web and interactive design, and brand identity, and the 3D Digital Visualization BFA teaches 3D modeling for architecture, interiors, animation, gaming and cinema.
Cost and paying for it
Berkeley’s 2026-27 tuition pages (effective 1 September 2026) list the same prices for New York, New Jersey and out-of-state students and for online study:
- Undergraduate degrees: $15,100 a semester ($30,200 a year) for 12 to 18 credits, up from $28,900 in 2025-26; $985 per credit part-time.
- Mandatory fees: a $480 administrative fee and a $535 technology fee each semester, or $2,030 a year for full-time students. BSN students add $500 a semester.
- Certificates (whole program): Patient Care Technician and Sterile Processing Technician $17,900 each, Medical Assistant $23,200, Practical Nurse $38,000, plus supplies.
- Graduate: MBA $1,195 per credit; MSN $1,125 per credit plus a $64 fee per semester.
- Other: $50 application fee, $150 graduation fee and a deposit of up to $300.
Berkeley’s 2025-26 tuition page describes a Tuition Freeze Program: continuously enrolled full-time students are protected from increases in full-time tuition, though not fees. Niche, using federal data, lists an average net price of $27,815 a year for the New Jersey institution and $35,294 for New York (checked October 2026).
Both institutions take federal student aid, and College Navigator shows a 0.0% cohort default rate for FY2021. Veterans can use the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon program; Berkeley has Veterans Resource Centers on site and online, offers VA work-study, and says it does not penalize students while VA payments are pending.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent, an application with the $50 fee, transcripts and either an entrance exam or SAT/ACT scores; Berkeley strongly recommends an interview. Practical Nurse, LPN to BSN and Surgical Technology applicants take the HESI A2 with critical thinking ($75). Health students need a background check, drug screen, immunizations and malpractice insurance before clinicals. The college runs on semesters, and most programs can be taken on campus, online or as a mix, depending on the semester’s course schedule. Practical Nurse runs in day or evening sections.
Accreditation and results
Berkeley’s catalog says both institutions are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and that accreditation was last reaffirmed in June 2018. Its self-study is due on 1 December 2026, with evaluation visits in New York from 28 February to 3 March 2027 and in New Jersey from 14 to 17 March 2027. Approval by New Jersey’s Secretary of Higher Education and the New York State Board of Regents is state authorization, not accreditation.
Program accreditation covers only specific programs. CCNE accredits only the MSN–Family Nurse Practitioner; CAAHEP the Medical Assistant certificate; CIDA the Interior Design BFA at Woodland Park; and IACBE the business programs. The New Jersey Board of Nursing accredits the LPN-to-BSN and approves the Practical Nurse program. Surgical Technology has had no programmatic accreditation since CAAHEP withdrew it on 16 January 2025.
| Measure | New Jersey | New York | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation within 150% of normal time, all programs, Fall 2019 cohort (by 31 Aug 2025) | 44% | 42% | Berkeley consumer information |
| Bachelor’s, Fall 2019 cohort | 43% | 50% | Berkeley consumer information |
| Associate, Fall 2022 cohort | 20% | 26% | Berkeley consumer information |
| Certificate, Fall 2022 cohort | 40% | – | Berkeley consumer information |
| Full-time bachelor’s retention, Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 | 59% | 41% | Berkeley consumer information |
| Full-time associate retention, Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 | 56% | 48% | Berkeley consumer information |
| Cohort default rate, FY2021 | 0.0% | 0.0% | College Navigator |
Program results Berkeley or the state publish:
- Medical Assistant certificate (CAAHEP outcomes on Berkeley’s program page): 96.30% exam pass rate and 77.78% job placement for 2024; five-year averages for 2020–2024 were 83.92% and 76.38%.
- NCLEX-PN, Practical Nurse, first-time testers at Woodland Park: 94.74% (18 of 19), January to September 2025 (New Jersey Board of Nursing quarterly report, as we read it).
- NCLEX-RN, LPN to BSN: 81.40% (35 of 43), January to September 2025, and 86.11% (31 of 36), January to June 2024 (same source).
We found no published CST pass rates for Surgical Technology and no certification pass rates for the patient care or sterile processing certificates.
The New York City lawsuit and settlement
On 23 October 2018 the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (now the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, DCWP) sued Berkeley, alleging predatory and deceptive practices, including misleading students about federal loans and financial aid, steering them into institutional loans, misrepresenting transfer credits and career outcomes, and seeking debts students did not owe. Berkeley denied the allegations.
In a settlement announced on 2 March 2022 and approved by the New York County Supreme Court, Berkeley agreed to stop collecting and cancel about $20 million in student debt incurred before 1 January 2019, pay $350,000 to the City for restitution, submit recorded admissions interviews each month for two years for DCWP review, and adopt new admissions, financial-aid disclosure, transfer-credit and collections policies. Berkeley did not admit wrongdoing.
Berkeley College is also listed on Exhibit C of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement, under which pending borrower-defense applications from attendees of listed schools received presumptive full relief. A listing is a term of that settlement, not a Department of Education finding against the school.
Before you enroll
- Nursing and the health certificates are taught only in New Jersey. The Manhattan campus has no health programs, and there is no entry-level RN program anywhere: the LPN-to-BSN is open only to licensed LPNs with recent work experience.
- Surgical Technology lost its CAAHEP accreditation on 16 January 2025. Before you enroll, ask Berkeley and NBSTSA in writing whether graduates can sit the CST exam.
- Full-time study costs $30,200 a year plus $2,030 in fees (2026-27). Of the Fall 2019 cohort, 44% (NJ) and 42% (NY) graduated within 150% of normal time, and associate-degree rates for the Fall 2022 cohort were 20% and 26%.
- Credentials do not always mean what the name suggests. The online Interior Design BFA is not CIDA-accredited, Legal Studies is not ABA-approved, the Core Paralegal Certificate is non-credit, and entrepreneurship and human resources are concentrations, not degrees. The International Business BBA takes no new applicants from Fall 2026.
- Berkeley settled a New York City consumer-protection lawsuit in 2022 over alleged deceptive practices involving financial aid, loans, transfer credits and debt collection, without admitting wrongdoing. Get loan terms, transfer-credit decisions and total cost in writing.
Internships and career help
Internships or practicums are built into the Medical Assistant, Medical Insurance, Billing and Coding and other health programs, and the Woodland Park campus has a career services center. Ask the campus you are considering about job placement and housing help.
What students say
Niche has two Berkeley pages with enough reviews to summarize (checked 6 October 2026): Berkeley College-New York, 3.66 out of 5 from 394 reviews, and Berkeley College-Woodland Park (the New Jersey institution), 3.98 out of 5 from 256 reviews. Niche gives both an overall grade of B−.
- Praise: supportive, responsive professors and tutors; small classes; flexible and online schedules that suit working students (some online students mention free textbooks); helpful admissions staff and counselors.
- Complaints: the financial aid office and private loans, with some New York reviewers in 2024 calling it a “scam”; high tuition; and, in 2026 New Jersey reviews, online nursing courses with little professor feedback.
How much to trust them: New York reviews cluster in March to May 2024, around graduation season, and the New Jersey page has a run of positive reviews about admissions in July and August 2024. Such bursts can reflect prompting, but we could not tell whether these reviews were invited.
Sources
Checked October 2026: 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog · Accreditations and approvals · 2026-27 degree tuition and fees · 2026-27 certificate tuition and fees · Retention and graduation rates · College Navigator: Berkeley College-Woodland Park · College Navigator: Berkeley College-New York · NYC settlement announcement (2 Mar 2022)
Programs & Courses
Business
- Business Administration – Management (AAS, BBA)
- General Business (BBA)
- Accounting (AAS, BBA)
- Business Analytics (BBA)
- Financial Services (AAS, BBA; online only)
- Marketing (AAS, BBA)
- Fashion Merchandising and Management (AAS, BBA)
- International Business (BBA; no new applicants from Fall 2026)
Nursing and health (New Jersey campuses)
- Practical Nurse (certificate; Woodland Park)
- LPN to BSN (Woodland Park)
- Medical Assistant (certificate, AAS)
- Patient Care Technician (certificate)
- Sterile Processing Technician (certificate)
- Surgical Technology (AAS; Woodland Park; not programmatically accredited since Jan 2025)
- Health Sciences (AAS)
Health administration
- Health Services Management (AAS, BBA)
- Health Services Administration – Medical Insurance, Billing and Coding (AAS; online)
Design and media
- Interior Design (AAS, BFA)
- Graphic Design (AAS, BFA)
- 3D Digital Visualization (BFA)
- Media Communications (BS)
Justice and legal studies
- Justice Studies – Criminal Justice (AAS, BS)
- Legal Studies (AAS, BS)
- Core Paralegal Certificate (non-credit; online)
Technology
- Information Technology Management (AAS, BS)
Graduate
- MBA in Management
- MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner (Woodland Park)
Campus Locations
New York, NY 3 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017
Newark, NJ 536 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Woodbridge, NJ 430 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Woodland Park, NJ 44 Rifle Camp Road, Woodland Park, NJ 07424