Colleges › New York › CUNY City College
CUNY City College
CUNY City College says yes to 60% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $66,039 median earnings.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
CUNY City College sits in New York proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
Its highest-earning path is Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, where graduates median $148,354 four years out. 60.5% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 12,505 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 79.3% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1220 and 1460 — above the NY middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on CUNY City College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, CUNY City College received 31,988 applications and admitted 18,576 (58.1%), with 2,666 enrolling.
You can apply to CUNY City College without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1220 and 1460; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 610 | 650 | 710 |
| SAT Math | 610 | 690 | 750 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How CUNY City College compares
| CUNY City College | New York median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 60% | 70.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,340 | $17,408 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $66,039 | $60,236 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors CUNY City College: $66,039 median at year ten, versus $60,236 across New York institutions.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $7,340 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $15,290. For non-residents, CUNY City College's $15,290 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
At 12,505 undergrads, CUNY City College is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
56.8% graduate within six years. Roughly 43% don't — ask a CUNY City College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at CUNY City College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $148,354 |
| Computer Engineering | $117,131 |
| Computer Science | $116,238 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $97,698 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,270 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $95,685 |
| Chemical Engineering | $88,659 |
| Civil Engineering | $87,957 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $87,804 |
| Mathematics | $73,882 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $72,068 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $69,948 |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | $68,614 |
| Economics | $67,679 |
| Applied Mathematics | $66,754 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $64,414 |
| Biology, General | $63,206 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $62,440 |
| Political Science and Government | $59,540 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $59,039 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $58,063 |
| Psychology, General | $56,223 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $55,895 |
| Sociology | $55,683 |
| History | $52,809 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $48,637 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $47,753 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $46,801 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $45,656 |
| Music | $44,058 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $34,212 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $32,769 |
Median earnings for these 32 CUNY City College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $66,039 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 31 additional CUNY City College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for CUNY City College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1220–1460 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 60% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is CUNY City College's acceptance rate?
58.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 18,576 admitted from 31,988 applicants.
How much does CUNY City College cost?
In-state tuition is $7,340; out-of-state students pay $15,290. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do CUNY City College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $66,039 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in New York
- CUNY Graduate School and University Center — 68.5% admitted
- CUNY New York City College of Technology — 80.3% admitted
- CUNY Queens College — 64.3% admitted
- Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital — 77.8% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.