NYU is largely a reflection of the population of New York City, having a mostly progressive and liberal-minded student body.
According to the Princeton Review, NYU ranks second as being most
accepting of gays and lesbians. Fraternity and Sorority membership are astronomically low, ranging from 9-11% of the student
body.NYU's location in Greenwich Village—a vibrant and creative neighborhood that has attracted generations of artists,
writers, intellectuals, and musicians—provides a unique perspective in which to study. The Village—and the rest of
New York City—acts as an extension of NYU's campus. Being that NYU's "campus" is a patchwork of buildings and structures
across much of the Village, it is indeed an "urban university" that has embraced the city as an essential element of the academic
experience.That said, NYU is often criticized for its lack of a "campus life" and it has been said that the University lacks a strong
sense of community, particularly amongst undergraduates. This fact was put into perspective when a string of six highly
publicized suicides took place at (or around) the University during the 2003-2004 academic year. NYU responded by offering free counseling to all enrolled students. Despite
being a historical commuter school, NYU currently has few support systems in place for the fraction of its student body that
commutes. On the other hand, New York City itself has so many active communities, many students shun the student body in favor of
participating in local flavor rather than university community.