New York City: Last week I attended a tour of New York University. Also known as NYU, the school was founded in 1831 and is a private university that offers certificates, diplomas, and associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 10 to 1. In 2013, Forbes ranked it the 56th best American college, and U.S. News & World Report ranked it the 32nd best university in the nation. According to Business Insider, New York University is the most expensive college in the United States, with a total cost of $61,977 per year. That said, the average first year financial aid package is $28,920.

The most popular bachelor's degree is in Visual and Performing Arts, followed by Social Sciences and Business/Marketing. The most popular associate degree is in Liberal Arts. Many times during the tour, the guide stressed the fact that the school is a liberal arts university and all students are required to take a certain number of liberal arts classes.

Looking beyond the statistics of this school, I had the privilege to see its charm. Unlike most universities, NYU does not have a designated campus. The college buildings are located in one general area of the city, but there is no one place where you can say that you are officially on campus. All the students take pride in this, asserting that, in fact, the whole city is their campus.

Most of the students I met were well-rounded. In fact, many of them were double majors with minors. They talked about how NYU has allowed them to explore their interests and has shaped who they are today. Many students go to NYU not knowing what they want to do in life, but the professors they talk to and the opportunities they are given allow them to have a better idea of what they want in a career. NYU encourages students to participate in internships, and the university's staff has the connections to give them a variety of internship opportunities.

My favorite part of the tour was when we went to the library. NYU has a 12-story library filled with books and videos. The building has nearly six million microforms, 500,000 government documents, and thousands of archives. The ­library is also a magnificent sight to behold, with beautiful modern architecture.

For more information, visit www.nyu.edu.