Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

For low-income, first-generation college students, a college degree is a critical lever for improving economic and social mobility from one generation to the next. As research shows, college graduates are more likely to thrive personally and professionally. Their success strengthens the fabric of our community through greater civic engagement, higher employment, and more stable communities.

The degree divide.

New York City remains the U.S.’s largest public school system but also one of the most racially and economically segregated. Attending a high quality high school increases young New Yorkers’ likelihood of enrolling in college, providing them with more educational resources and better college advising. However, school districts with higher-income families have more high quality schools—
and high quality schools attract higher-income families. 

This self-reinforcing trend deepens the divide in education outcomes in New York City. BTNY exists to close this divide. Our students are highly motivated and intellectually curious, yet are historically, the furthest from opportunity: 98% identify as BIPOC, 66% are the first in their families to pursue college, and the average household income for our students is $54,421.

By opening doors to high-quality educational opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach, Breakthrough New York helps students with exceptional potential fully realize it.