The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (commonly referred to simply as The Cooper Union or Cooper Union) is a privately funded college in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Cooper Union, founded in 1859, established a radical new model of American higher education. Its mission reflects Peter Coopers fundamental belief that education of the highest quality should be as "free as air and water" and should be available to all who qualify, independent of race, religion, sex, or social status. For 150 years, the College has admitted students based on merit alone and provided each with a full-tuition scholarship.

The Campus is located in the East Village (East Village, Manhattan), around Cooper Square (Cooper Square (Manhattan)) and Astor Place (Astor Place (Manhattan)) (Third Avenue (Third Avenue (Manhattan)) and 6th–9th Streets). The school offers accredited degree programs in architecture, fine arts, and engineering and is a member of ABET and the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States. Cooper is considered to be one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, with all of its member schools ranked among the highest in the country.

The Cooper Union is one of very few American institutions of higher learning to offer a full-tuition scholarship (valued at $140,000 as of 2010) to every admitted student. As a result, The Cooper Union is one of the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate generally below 10% (although both the art and architecture schools have acceptance rates lower than 5%). The school experienced a 20% increase in applications for the 2008–2009 academic year, further lowering the acceptance ratio. Cooper Union also experienced a 70% increase in early decision applications for the 2009–2010 academic year.