Public · New York, New York

CUNY City College

CUNY City College is a public institution in New York, New York. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$3,776
Avg net price / yr
$66,039
10-yr median earnings
55.8%
150%-time completion
60.0%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

CUNY City College pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 10%
former-student earnings, US
60.0%
acceptance rate
55.8%
150%-time completion
+42%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large Carnegie: R2
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this CUNY City College profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

B
College Value Score
71/100
CUNY City College

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings A+
$66,039
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price A+
$3,776
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
55.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt C
$11,990
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C
62.4%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
79.3%
First-year students returning for year two
CUNY City College vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$66,039

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$3,776

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

55.8%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 55.8%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - CUNY City College vs peers

CUNY City College positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. CUNY City College positioned by earnings vs … Carnegie Classification: R2 R2 COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $30K $71K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $18K Avg Net Price ($) CUNY City College (you are here): $66K earn · $4K net · 56% grad You are here - CUNY City College CUNY Queens College: $63K earn · $4K net · 56% grad CUNY Queens College University at Albany: $68K earn · $17K net · 63% grad University at Albany CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice: $56K earn · $3K net · 56% grad CUNY John Jay Coll… CUNY New York City College of Technology: $49K earn · $5K net · 20% grad CUNY New York City CUNY LaGuardia Community College: $42K earn · $6K net · 25% grad CUNY LaGuardia Com… Suffolk County Community College: $50K earn · $5K net · 27% grad Boricua College: $35K earn · $15K net · 74% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How CUNY City College ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

CUNY City College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$66,039 Top 10% higher than 90% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric CUNY City College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $66,039 #509 of 5103 90th
Average net price $3,776 #182 of 5020 96th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.8% #2538 of 4858 48th
Undergraduate enrollment 12,505 #262 of 5462 95th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

12,505
Undergraduate enrollment
60.0%
Acceptance rate
1,260
SAT average
55.8%
150%-time completion
$66,039
10-yr median earnings
79.3%
First-year retention

How CUNY City College ranks in New York

State rank among 299 reporting New York colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric CUNY City College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $66,039 #66 of 299 78th
Average net price $3,776 #8 of 328 98th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.8% #196 of 322 39th
Undergraduate enrollment 12,505 #15 of 367 96th

Highest former-student earnings in New York

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences$131,426$29,882
2Helene Fuld College of Nursing$111,027$47,181
3SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University$109,601-
4Center for Allied Health Education$107,249$48,150
5Miami Ad School-New York$106,192-
6St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens$104,403$26,315
7Cornell University$104,043$28,690
8Weill Medical College of Cornell University$104,043-
9Columbia University in the City of New York$102,491$21,590
10Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$102,051$36,228
11Cochran School of Nursing$99,503-
12Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing$96,980-
66CUNY City CollegeThis school$66,039$3,776

Admissions

Admission Rate 60.0%
SAT Average 1,260
SAT Math (25th-75th) 530 – 730
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 540 – 700
0%100%60%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at CUNY City College

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at CUNY City College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $7,340
Out-of-State Tuition $15,290
Average Net Price $3,776
60.5%
Pell Grant Rate
11.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$11,990
Median Debt
$127/mo
Monthly Payment

CUNY City College costs less today than it did in 2013

Average net price fell from $5,150 to $3,486 (-32.3%) between 2013 and 2023, before any inflation adjustment, which makes the real-terms fall larger still. Most colleges moved the other way: the median change across the 4,315 schools measured over the same span was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $5,1502014: $5,9172015: $6,0022016: $5,0082017: $2,5402018: $3,7442019: $2,3852020: $2,8052021: $2,0612022: $3,4342023: $3,486
2013 · $5,1502023 · $3,486

Over the same years, enrollment went +1.0% (11,820 → 11,934 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

53.8%
Female
46.0%
First Generation

Outcomes

79.3%
Retention Rate
$46,435
Median Earnings (6yr)
59.0%
Earning Over $25K
62.4%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 55.8%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 79.3%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $46,435
Median earnings 10 years after entry $66,039
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 59.0%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 62.4%
Median federal student debt At completion $11,990
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $127/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 36 2,429 $70,092 $148,354 $13,426
Master's 23 609 $85,598 $149,434 $42,889
First Professional 2 83 - - $171,263

Top programs at CUNY City College by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Master's 35 $149,434 $114,977
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Bachelor's 0 $148,354 -
Computer Engineering Bachelor's 54 $117,131 -
Computer Science Bachelor's 132 $116,238 -
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Bachelor's 81 $97,698 -
Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's 119 $97,270 $13,232
Biomedical/Medical Engineering Bachelor's 35 $95,685 -
Special Education and Teaching Master's 55 $94,601 $23,914
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Master's 27 $90,944 -
Chemical Engineering Bachelor's 32 $88,659 -
Civil Engineering Bachelor's 57 $87,957 $19,529
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Bachelor's 26 $87,804 -
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Master's 78 $86,151 $20,504
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language Master's 71 $85,112 $19,917
Public Administration Master's 22 $81,813 -

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at CUNY City College?
CUNY City College is a public institution in New York, New York. The acceptance rate is 60.0%. The average SAT score is 1,260. Undergraduate enrollment is 12,505 students.
How much do CUNY City College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at CUNY City College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $66,039 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $46,435.
How much does CUNY City College cost?
The average net price at CUNY City College is $3,776. In-state tuition is $7,340 and out-of-state tuition is $15,290. Median student debt at graduation is $11,990.
What is the graduation rate at CUNY City College?
CUNY City College has a 55.8% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 79.3%.
Is CUNY City College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at CUNY City College is $11,990, while former students earn a median of $66,039 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 18% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 62.4% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $127.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from CUNY City College

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.