As Long Island University marks its centennial, it honours a proud legacy shaped by world-class faculty, immersive learning, and a global network of over 285,000 alumni. A century strong — and just getting started. LIU celebrates 100 years of academic excellence, innovation, and impact. Founded in 1926 with a mission to expand access to quality education, LIU has grown into a nationally recognized institution — ranked in the top 7% of universities in the nation for research.

A legacy of firsts

LIU has blazed new trails in higher education from its earliest days. The university introduced programs that broke new ground long before innovation became a buzzword.

New York State's first College of Pharmacy, founded in 1886 as the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, joined the LIU family in 1929 shortly after the university was founded. This bold step expanded professional opportunities for students and helped set the standard for pharmacy education in the state and nation.

LIU launched the nation's first School of Professional Accountancy a few decades later, recognizing the need for rigorous, specialized education in a field critical to business and economic growth. This forward-thinking move placed LIU at the forefront of professional training and cemented its reputation for anticipating the evolving needs of the workforce.

The innovative tradition continued into the 21st century. LIU is among the first institutions in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence, preparing students for leadership in a technology-driven world. LIU is also home to the nation's first Virtual Reality Center of Excellence, providing students unparalleled access to cutting-edge tools in virtual engineering and simulation.

LIU's AACSB-accredited School of Business — ranked among the top 5% of business schools worldwide — and a Princeton Review "Best Business School" for 18 consecutive years — prepares graduates to lead industries worldwide, including hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio '71.

The Theatre program is ranked among the nation's Top 30, with students earning 20 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Awards.

These milestones are not isolated moments. They form a consistent pattern: LIU does not wait for the future to arrive; we help invent it.

The next century begins

LIU is once again redefining what a university can be as it enters its next century. This new chapter is marked by the launch of the nation's first Bachelor of Engineering in Digital Engineering, a degree that combines systems thinking, digital design, and applied innovation. This program prepares students to operate at the intersection of the physical and virtual worlds — a space where tomorrow's industries are already taking shape.

The university broke ground on a new College of Science building: a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and discovery. This investment underscores LIU's commitment to advancing STEM fields, precision medicine, and the life sciences — areas that will define the next century of innovation.

A future without limits

The Centennial is a declaration: LIU will continue to accelerate the exceptional, to lead in discovery, and to empower students to reimagine what is possible.

LIU has been a place where ambition meets opportunity for 100 years. The next 100 years of accelerating the exceptional begin now.