City College of New York vs. Messiah College

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

City College of New York Messiah College
Location New York, NY Grantham, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,012 3,344
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #362
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $39,700
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $39,700
Room & Board $18,104 $11,910
Avg Net Price $4,599 $29,882
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $24,223
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 100%

Admission

City College of New York Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 2,375
Admitted 18,576 1,864
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 78.5%
Enrolled % 14.4% 32%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.8
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/30
SAT Range 1220/1460 1100/1340
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

Academics

City College of New York Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Messiah College
Graduation Rate 40% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $117 $268

Diversity

City College of New York Messiah College
% Men 7% 6%
% Women 11% 17%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 15% 83%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 35% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

City College of New York Messiah College
% In-State 87% 63%
% Out-of-State 0% 36%

Campus

City College of New York Messiah College
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 Messiah College based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 3,344 students)

City College of New York vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

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

  • Messiah College is 472.9% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 166.8% higher at Messiah College than CUNY City College ($39,700.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Messiah College ($4,599 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 52% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($11,910 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than CUNY City College (100% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 162.3% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($24,223 vs. $9,236)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 4 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.6 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than City College of New York (58.1%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than CUNY City College (74% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from CUNY City College earn on average $1,200 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($49,800 vs. $48,600)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $14,589 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($11,400 vs. $25,989)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $151 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($117 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 52%)

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