City College of New York vs. Penn State Brandywine

Deciding between CUNY City College and Penn State Brandywine? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

CUNY City College
Penn State Brandywine

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • Penn State Brandywine Media, PA
  • Setting
  • City College of New York Large City
  • Penn State Brandywine Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • Penn State Brandywine 1,236
  • Type
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Brandywine Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • City College of New York #313
  • Penn State Brandywine #821
  • Religious Affiliation
  • City College of New York -
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Status
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • Penn State Brandywine Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • City College of New York
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • Penn State Brandywine $15,208
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • Penn State Brandywine $25,392
  • Room & Board
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • Penn State Brandywine $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • Penn State Brandywine $22,710
  • Average Grant Aid
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • Penn State Brandywine $9,113
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • City College of New York 88%
  • Penn State Brandywine 73%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,431
  • Admitted
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,385
  • Acceptance Rate
  • City College of New York 60%
  • Penn State Brandywine 98.1%
  • Enrolled
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • Penn State Brandywine 16.8%
  • Typical SAT score
  • City College of New York 1250
  • Penn State Brandywine 1200
  • Typical ACT score
  • City College of New York
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Average High School GPA
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • City College of New York B+
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Admissions Standards
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Penn State Brandywine Challenging
  • Applicant Competition
  • City College of New York Low
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • ACT Range
  • City College of New York
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • SAT Range
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310
  • Submit Test Scores
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • Penn State Brandywine Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • City College of New York 15:1
  • Penn State Brandywine 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • City College of New York
    • Psychology (15%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Penn State Brandywine
    • Business (28%)
    • Work and Family Studies (28%)
    • Communication (23%)
    • Ethnic Studies (6%)
    • Education (5%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • City College of New York 40%
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • City College of New York $49,800
  • Penn State Brandywine $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • City College of New York 52%
  • Penn State Brandywine 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • City College of New York $11,400
  • Penn State Brandywine $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • City College of New York $117
  • Penn State Brandywine $277
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • City College of New York 47%
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • % Women
  • City College of New York 53%
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Racial Diversity
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Penn State Brandywine Medium
  • HBCU
  • City College of New York No
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • % White
  • City College of New York 15%
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • % Asian
  • City College of New York 25%
  • Penn State Brandywine 11%
  • % Black
  • City College of New York 16%
  • Penn State Brandywine 15%
  • % Hispanic
  • City College of New York 35%
  • Penn State Brandywine 5%
  • % Native American
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • City College of New York 2%
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%
  • % International
  • City College of New York 6%
  • Penn State Brandywine 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • City College of New York 83%
  • Penn State Brandywine 80%
  • % Out-of-State
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 19%
  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare CUNY City College in New York, NY with Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY City College is larger than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 1,236 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • CUNY City College is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); Penn State Brandywine is in Media, PA (Large Suburban setting).
  • CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Brandywine is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: CUNY City College 15:1; Penn State Brandywine 15:1.

City College of New York vs. Penn State Brandywine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or Penn State Brandywine? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Penn State Brandywine ($4,664 vs. $22,710).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 23.2% lower than at CUNY City College ($14,474 vs. $18,840).
  • Penn State Brandywine is 107.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $7,868 more per year; $15,208.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 66.1% higher at Penn State Brandywine than at CUNY City College (about $10,102 more per year; $25,392.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY City College than at Penn State Brandywine (88% vs. 73%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by CUNY City College students is 7.1% larger than aid received by Penn State Brandywine students ($9,763 vs. $9,113).

City College of New York vs. Penn State Brandywine Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or Penn State Brandywine? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Brandywine and City College of New York.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at CUNY City College (1250) is 50 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (1200).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: CUNY City College 1070/1430; Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: City College of New York - Test optional; Penn State Brandywine - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: City College of New York Feb 1, 2027.
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than City College of New York (60%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.3% at City College of New York vs. 16.8% at Penn State Brandywine.

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

How do outcomes compare for City College of New York and Penn State Brandywine? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • CUNY City College's six-year graduation rate (40%) is higher than Penn State Brandywine's (37%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Brandywine earn a median of about $5,500 more per year than City College of New York graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $49,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $15,418 lower median loan debt than Penn State Brandywine graduates ($11,400 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $160 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State Brandywine graduates ($117 vs. $277).
  • More Penn State Brandywine 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.