Manhattan College is now officially Manhattan University.
The change, which the school announced Wednesday, aims to better showcase its wide range of academic programs and attract a more diverse, global student body. The New York State Board of Regents gave the green light to the new name on Aug. 1.
"I've always thought of Manhattan College as something bigger, given the number of disciplines in the three schools we operate, the superb quality of our faculty, and the growing international reach of the student body. It's a natural evolution in our long history in New York City, and a natural progression of our legacy that has stood for more than 170 years," President Milo Riverso said in a statement.
The institution, which has been around since 1853, started in Manhattan before moving to the Bronx, New York, in 1923.
Riverso also pointed out that the university status will help clarify the school's standing in countries where "college" can be misunderstood as equivalent to high school.
According to the university, a majority of the 3,000 students, faculty and staff that participated in a May 2022 survey supported the name change.
