National university
#4 Colleges with the best earnings for the price in AmericaCUNY City College
New York, NY · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $3,776 a year
Median debt at graduation: $11,990 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#3 of 690
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#4 of 681
- Best value colleges in America#7 of 674
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#9 of 598
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#4 of 239
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#19 of 684
Show 18 more
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#24 of 682
- Best colleges for nursing in America#151 of 1,068
- Best colleges for business in America#259 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#221 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#216 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#137 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#282 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#371 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#266 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#285 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#325 of 1,481
- Best colleges for history in America#279 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#266 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#279 of 1,215
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#170 of 704
- Best colleges for music in America#259 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#285 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#276 of 1,116
In New York
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in New York#3 of 79
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in New York#3 of 77
- Best value colleges in New York#3 of 75
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in New York#3 of 75
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in New York#4 of 79
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in New York#4 of 67
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.57%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,260
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$20,521
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $14,403 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 12,356 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 46% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 0% |
| Total students | 15,012 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $3,776 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $14,403 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $11,990 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 57% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 49% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 47% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 53% |
| First-year retention | 79% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $66,039 |
| Admission rate | 60% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $65 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 61% |
| Average SAT | 1260 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–700 |
| SAT math | 530–730 |
| ACT composite | — |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 1% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Allied health | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | |
| Mathematics | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Communication studies | |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | |
| Economics | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Business administration | |
| Biology | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Political science | |
| International relations | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Sociology | |
| History | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| English | |
| Film and video | |
| Fine arts | |
| Music | |
| Romance languages | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Area studies, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Classics, Dance, Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, Electromechanical technology, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, Landscape Architecture, Linguistics, Management science, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Natural resources and conservation, Nursing, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Public health, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Special education, Speech-language pathology, Urban Studies/Affairs, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Psychology | |
| Engineering | |
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Visual and performing arts |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 17% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 14% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,840 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · City University of New York Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 15 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 34%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $22,282IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 5% of studentsBeds ÷ undergraduates; not how many live on campus |
| Nearest major airport | LaGuardia Airport (LGA)About 5 miles away |
| Town population | 8,483,844Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Jersey CityAbout 10 miles away |
| Typical weather | 34°F in January · 78°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from New York Cntrl Pk Twr, NY, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.06 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.64 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.13 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.06 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is CUNY City College’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 20% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does CUNY City College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $3,776 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into CUNY City College?
- CUNY City College admitted 60% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do CUNY City College’s graduates do?
- 57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $66,039; the median federal debt at graduation is $11,990.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 190567
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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