Culinary Institute of America vs. SUNY Poly

Should I go to Culinary Institute of America or SUNY Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Culinary Institute of America or SUNY Poly is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Culinary Institute of America vs. SUNY Polytechnic Institute comparison
Culinary Institute of America SUNY Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
Culinary Institute of America SUNY Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Location Hyde Park, NY Utica, NY
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,104 2,704
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #307
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ciachef.edu sunyit.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Tuition (In State) $35,520 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $35,520 $18,720
Room & Board $13,680 $14,750
Avg Net Price $36,015 $14,646
Avg Grant Aid $18,211 $8,137
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 90%

Admission

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,161 4,936
Admitted 1,983 3,872
Acceptance Rate 91.8% 78.4%
Enrolled % 34.3% 10%
Avg High School GPA 3.26 3.7
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/25 24/27
SAT Range 970/1195 1150/1330
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026

Academics

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Personal and Culinary Services (78%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Graduation Rate - 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,600 $53,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $16,585
Median Loan Payment $155 $171

Diversity

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
% Men 2% 11%
% Women 2% 19%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 79%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 17% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 12% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
% In-State 18% 95%
% Out-of-State 70% 3%

Campus

Culinary Institute of America SUNY Poly
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Culinary Institute of America is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (3,104 students vs. 2,704 students)

Culinary Institute of America vs. SUNY Poly Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Culinary Institute of America or SUNY Poly?

  • Culinary Institute of America is 402.4% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($35,520.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 89.7% higher at Culinary Institute of America than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($35,520.00 vs. $18,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Culinary Institute of America ($14,646 vs. $36,015)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Culinary Institute of America are 7.8% lower than costs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($13,680 vs. $14,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Culinary Institute of America than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (98% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Culinary Institute of America students is 123.8% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($18,211 vs. $8,137)

Culinary Institute of America vs. SUNY Poly Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Culinary Institute of America or SUNY Poly? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SUNY Poly or Culinary Institute of America .

  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.44 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Culinary Institute of America (3.26)
  • Culinary Institute of America has a higher acceptance rate (91.8%) than SUNY Poly (78.4%)

Culinary Institute of America vs. SUNY Poly Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Culinary Institute of America or SUNY Poly? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between SUNY Poly and Culinary Institute of America.

  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn on average $6,600 more per year than Culinary Institute of America graduates after ten years. ($53,200 vs. $46,600)
  • Culinary Institute of America students graduate with a $1,585 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY Poly graduates. ($15,000 vs. $16,585)
  • Culinary Institute of America graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY Poly graduates. ($155 vs. $171)
  • More Culinary Institute of America graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/