City College of New York vs. Brown

Should I go to CUNY City College or Brown University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or Brown 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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CUNY City College vs. Brown University comparison
CUNY City College Brown University College 3 College 4
CUNY City College Brown University
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Overview

City College of New York Brown
Location New York, NY Providence, RI
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 15,012 11,516
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #11
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu brown.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Brown
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $65,656
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $65,656
Room & Board $18,104 $16,598
Avg Net Price $4,599 $26,608
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $58,378
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 51%

Admission

City College of New York Brown
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 51,316
Admitted 18,576 2,686
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 5.2%
Enrolled % 14.4% 63.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.94
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 34/35
SAT Range 1220/1460 1500/1570
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 Feb 1, 2026 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

City College of New York Brown
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Brown
Graduation Rate 40% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $87,600
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $117 $155

Diversity

City College of New York Brown
% Men 7% 15%
% Women 11% 17%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 43%
% Black 16% 7%
% Hispanic 35% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 6% 12%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

City College of New York Brown
% In-State 87% 3%
% Out-of-State 0% 81%

Campus

City College of New York Brown
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Brown based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 11,516 students)

City College of New York vs. Brown Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or Brown?

  • Brown University is 847.4% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($65,656.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 341.2% higher at Brown than CUNY City College ($65,656.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Brown ($4,599 vs. $26,608)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Brown University are 9.1% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($16,598 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Brown University (86% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Brown University students is 532.1% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($58,378 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. Brown Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or Brown? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Brown or City College of New York .

  • The average SAT score at Brown University (1457) is 332 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Brown students have a 0.74 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Brown (5.2%)

City College of New York vs. Brown Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, City College of New York or Brown? 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 Brown and City College of New York.

  • The graduation rate at Brown is higher than CUNY City College (95% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Brown University earn on average $37,800 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($87,600 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $3,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Brown graduates. ($11,400 vs. $15,000)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Brown graduates. ($117 vs. $155)
  • More Brown graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 52%)

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