BC vs. City College of New York

Deciding between Boston College and CUNY City College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Boston College
CUNY City College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • BC Chestnut Hill, MA
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • Setting
  • BC Small City
  • City College of New York Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • BC 15,432
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • Type
  • BC Private 4 Year
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BC #34
  • City College of New York #313
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BC Roman Catholic
  • City College of New York -
  • Status
  • BC Non-profit
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BC
  • City College of New York

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BC $70,702
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BC $70,702
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • Room & Board
  • BC $18,916
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • Average Net Price
  • BC $32,519
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BC $56,971
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BC 40%
  • City College of New York 88%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BC 35,037
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • Admitted
  • BC 5,755
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BC 16.4%
  • City College of New York 60%
  • Enrolled
  • BC 43.5%
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • BC 1490
  • City College of New York 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • BC 34
  • City College of New York
  • Average High School GPA
  • BC 3.86
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BC A
  • City College of New York B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • BC Elite
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • BC Very High
  • City College of New York Low
  • ACT Range
  • BC 33/35
  • City College of New York
  • SAT Range
  • BC 1440/1540
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BC Test optional
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • BC Jan 1, 2027
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BC 10:1
  • City College of New York 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BC
    • Business (24%)
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • English and Literature (7%)
  • City College of New York
    • Psychology (15%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BC 91%
  • City College of New York 40%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BC $90,900
  • City College of New York $49,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BC 90%
  • City College of New York 52%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BC $19,000
  • City College of New York $11,400
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BC $196
  • City College of New York $117

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BC 46%
  • City College of New York 47%
  • % Women
  • BC 54%
  • City College of New York 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BC Medium
  • City College of New York Very High
  • HBCU
  • BC No
  • City College of New York No
  • % White
  • BC 62%
  • City College of New York 15%
  • % Asian
  • BC 10%
  • City College of New York 25%
  • % Black
  • BC 4%
  • City College of New York 16%
  • % Hispanic
  • BC 10%
  • City College of New York 35%
  • % Native American
  • BC 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BC 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BC 3%
  • City College of New York 2%
  • % International
  • BC 6%
  • City College of New York 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BC 6%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BC 23%
  • City College of New York 83%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BC 69%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BC Yes
  • City College of New York Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BC No
  • City College of New York No
  • Meal Plan
  • BC Yes
  • City College of New York No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BC No
  • City College of New York No
  • Daycare Facility
  • BC Yes
  • City College of New York Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA with CUNY City College in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY City College is larger than BC based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 15,432 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, MA (Small City setting); CUNY City College is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • Boston College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Boston College 10:1; CUNY City College 15:1.

BC vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or City College of New York? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than BC ($4,664 vs. $32,519).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 0.4% lower than at Boston College ($18,840 vs. $18,916).
  • Boston College is 863.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $63,362 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 362.4% higher at BC than at CUNY City College (about $55,412 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY City College than at Boston College (88% vs. 40%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston College students is 483.5% larger than aid received by CUNY City College students ($56,971 vs. $9,763).

BC vs. City College of New York Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC or City College of New York? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between City College of New York and BC.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Boston College (1490) is 240 points higher than at City College of New York (1250).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 1440/1540; CUNY City College 1070/1430.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 33/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BC - Test optional; City College of New York - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: BC Jan 1, 2027; City College of New York Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.66 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at City College of New York (3.2).
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (60%) than BC (16.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 43.5% at BC vs. 12.3% at City College of New York.

BC vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BC and City College of New York? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Boston College's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than CUNY City College's (40%).
  • Graduates from Boston College earn a median of about $41,100 more per year than City College of New York graduates about ten years after starting college ($90,900 vs. $49,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $7,600 lower median loan debt than BC graduates ($11,400 vs. $19,000).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $79 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than BC graduates ($117 vs. $196).
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 52%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.