City College holds a special place in the minds of east European Jewish immigrants because it came closest to their dream of living a better life. City college in the early 20th century was a combination of high school and college. It had a liberal policy of admissions and a mediocre faculty.

In the 1880’s and 1890’s, the average graduating class was about 50. However, in 1903,  Dr. John Finley took over the presidency and raised the academic level. At this point,  75% of students were Jewish and in the graduating class of 1910, 90/112 graduates were Jewish.

City College in the early 20th century

From the Library of Congress