City College of New York vs. Lehigh

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

City College of New York Lehigh
Location New York, NY Bethlehem, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,012 7,590
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu lehigh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Lehigh
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $61,180
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $61,180
Room & Board $18,104 $16,470
Avg Net Price $4,599 $33,289
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $43,644
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 59%

Admission

City College of New York Lehigh
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 18,415
Admitted 18,576 5,389
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 29.3%
Enrolled % 14.4% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.81
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 31/33
SAT Range 1220/1460 1350/1490
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 1, 2026

Academics

City College of New York Lehigh
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%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Lehigh
Graduation Rate 40% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $89,200
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $24,256
Median Loan Payment $117 $250

Diversity

City College of New York Lehigh
% Men 7% 12%
% Women 11% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 66%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 35% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 6% 8%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

City College of New York Lehigh
% In-State 87% 23%
% Out-of-State 0% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Lehigh based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 7,590 students)

City College of New York vs. Lehigh Cost Comparison

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

  • Lehigh University is 782.8% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($61,180.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 311.2% higher at Lehigh than CUNY City College ($61,180.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Lehigh ($4,599 vs. $33,289)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 9.9% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($16,470 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Lehigh University (86% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 372.5% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($43,644 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. Lehigh Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 213 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Lehigh (29.3%)

City College of New York vs. Lehigh Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than CUNY City College (87% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $39,400 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $12,856 lower median federal student loan debt than Lehigh graduates. ($11,400 vs. $24,256)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $133 less per month on federal student loans than Lehigh graduates. ($117 vs. $250)
  • More Lehigh 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/