Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Most Dangerous College In NYC: "Hudson University"


By

Jen Chung

Published Mar 30, 2010

Modified Mar 30, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Hudson University t-shirt on CafePress

 


By

Jen Chung

Published Mar 30, 2010

Modified Mar 30, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Okay, so Hudson University doesn't really exist—except in the world of Law & Order, L&O: Special Victims Unit and L&O: Criminal Intent. Need a sociopathic nemesis for Detective Goren? Make her a temporary professor at Hudson. Need someone to be murdered in a parking garage? Why not at Hudson! City Room asked L&O producer Rene Balcer about the school and he explained, "It is the one place you never want to go to school or teach at. Very high crime rate." Totally—as Twitterer Mickbw wrote, "OMG Hudson University from Law & Order SUV must be the worst place ever to live or attend school."

Hudson University is so near and dear to some fans' hearts, the L&O:SVU drinking game suggests you drink once if Hudson is mentioned (you also drink once if "Munch makes a sarcastic remark" or "Ice-T (Fin) says 'that's messed up' or some equivalent" but you drink twice if "Kathy Stabler or Stabler's kids are shown"). Balcer says that Hudson is "a university with two campuses, depending on what our locations can give us. Part looks Columbia and part looks like N.Y.U. Some of the dorms look like the dorms at N.Y.U., but when we want a quadrangle or more Ivy Leaguish-building, that’s the uptown campus of Hudson University." It's also a university on two networks—ABC's drama Castle mentions Hudson University.

According to Wikipedia, Hudson University has been filmed at many schools besides Columbia and NYU (Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, Fordham University, etc). Also: "The show has shown Hudson University on a map of New York City where the real life Yeshiva University is located." And another final fun fact: Dick Grayson—aka Robin, Batman's sidekick—attended Hudson.

Tagged

college

HUdson University

Law & Order

law & order criminal intent

law & order special victims unit

nyc


Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says

Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.

By

Liam Quigley

Published Oct 2, 2026 at 4:47 p.m. ET


Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.

By

Ryan Kost

News

Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.

By

Ryan Kost


DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say

By

Brittany Kriegstein

Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says

By

Stephen Nessen

NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem

By

Ryan Kost


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .