City College of New York vs. Penn State

Should I go to CUNY City College or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or Penn State 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Virginia Tech Hunter UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse
CUNY City College vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
CUNY City College Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
CUNY City College Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 City College of New York Penn State
Location New York, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,012 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 City College of New York Penn State
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $39,626
Room & Board $18,104 $13,030
Avg Net Price $4,599 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 36%

Admission

 City College of New York Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 85,956
Admitted 18,576 46,605
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 54.2%
Enrolled % 14.4% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1220/1460 1220/1400
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 Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 City College of New York Penn State
Graduation Rate 40% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $117 $277

Diversity

 City College of New York Penn State
% Men 7% 8%
% Women 11% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 69%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 35% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 City College of New York Penn State
% In-State 87% 51%
% Out-of-State 0% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than City College of New York based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 15,012 students)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 183.9% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 166.3% higher at Penn State than CUNY City College ($39,626.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Penn State ($4,599 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 38.9% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($13,030 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Penn State Main Campus (86% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 25.3% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($11,577 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 77 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Penn State (54.2%)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than CUNY City College (87% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $5,500 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $15,418 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($11,400 vs. $26,818)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $160 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($117 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 52%)

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