City College of New York vs. Lafayette College

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

 City College of New York Lafayette College
Location New York, NY Easton, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,012 2,764
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #66
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu lafayette.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 City College of New York Lafayette College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $61,482
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $61,482
Room & Board $18,104 $18,640
Avg Net Price $4,599 $34,728
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $44,126
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 52%

Admission

 City College of New York Lafayette College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 9,874
Admitted 18,576 3,107
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 31.5%
Enrolled % 14.4% 22.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.53
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 30/33
SAT Range 1220/1460 1340/1490
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 15, 2026

Academics

 City College of New York Lafayette College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

 City College of New York Lafayette College
Graduation Rate 40% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $81,000
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $117 $268

Diversity

 City College of New York Lafayette College
% Men 7% 0%
% Women 11% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 67%
% Black 16% 5%
% Hispanic 35% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 6% 9%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 City College of New York Lafayette College
% In-State 87% 13%
% Out-of-State 0% 79%

Campus

 City College of New York Lafayette College
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 Lafayette College based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 2,764 students)

City College of New York vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

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

  • Lafayette College is 787.2% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($61,482.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 313.2% higher at Lafayette College than CUNY City College ($61,482.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Lafayette College ($4,599 vs. $34,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 3% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($18,104 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Lafayette College (86% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 377.8% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($44,126 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. Lafayette College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 169 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Lafayette College students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Lafayette College (31.5%)

City College of New York vs. Lafayette College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than CUNY City College (88% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $31,200 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $14,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($11,400 vs. $26,000)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $151 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($117 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 52%)

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