Dowling College - Oakdale, NY

One of the most picturesque spots along the Connetquot River in Long Island, New York is the site of Dowling College. It was founded in 1955 as an extension of Adelphi College to offer continuing education classes in the Port Jefferson, Sayville and Riverhead areas. It was originally named Adelphi Suffolk College and was the first four year college that offered liberal arts degrees in Suffolk County. The original college was located in an old public school building in the town of Sayville. With its rapidly growing student population, it soon outgrew the space and in January 1963 the college purchased the Vanderbilt estate in Oakdale. It was at that point the college became so well known it developed into one of the most important educational forces on Long Island. It remained under Adelphi College until 1986 when the colleges went their separate way. It was then that Adelphi Suffolk College became Dowling College, named after Robert Dowling the chief benefactor at the time.

As the years progressed, Dowling College rapidly grew and in 1974 they expanded the campus to include a learning resource center which included the library, additional classrooms and a much needed cafeteria. Over the years the college has grown by leaps and bounds. It boasts two campuses that are excellent places for individuals to expand their minds and learn. In 2000, the Oakdale campus was renamed in honor of Trustee Scott Rudolph and is now known as the Rudolph Campus.

The older of the two campuses, Rudolph Campus, is located just 50 minutes from downtown Manhattan and minutes from the Atlantic Ocean beaches, and is a beautiful site to behold. Mixing the old mansions of years gone by with high tech education, Dowling College is a safe, secure place where students are able to enrich their minds, feed their passion for learning and become an integrated part of the workforce upon graduation.

Brookhaven is the other campus that Dowling College has to offer. It is located on over 100 acres in Shirley, New York, just a mere 17 miles from the main campus in Oakdale. Opened in 1993 to accommodate a need for a growing population of students and academic services, the Brookhaven offers day, evening and weekend classes for students of all ages and professions. It also is the home to an academic program in aeronautics and baccalaureate degree in transportation and management. One of the few across the United States (there are only 23), it allows graduates to find jobs in the aviation field quickly.

Both campuses offer all the benefits of a larger college with a much smaller feel. They have sports, numerous clubs and organizations to explore and join as well as many other creative and interesting extracurricular activities to discover. They offer high quality educational classes that fit just about any schedule. This flexibility allows many people to attend college and work towards furthering their education on whatever schedule works best for them. It is a college that prides itself by offering students of all ages and varying degrees of education a way to reach their full potential in learning.

If you are searching for the right college for you, consider Dowling College. Here, you will find one of the most exceptional educational facilities across Long Island. They have a low student to faculty ration of only 17 students to one instructor. Their faculty is highly qualified to teach as most have earned the highest degrees possible in their disciplines. It is difficult to find another place where history, natural beauty and state of the art technology blend beautifully to allow for a unique experience in learning. Dowling College is definitely a college that you should place on your college tour. Once you step onto the campus and see it for yourself, you will understand what makes it such a unique place of learning.

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master's degree Post-master's certificate Doctor's degree

Other College Details: 4-year, Private not-for-profit Suburb: Large Housing on Campus: Yes