City College of New York vs. RPI

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

 City College of New York RPI
Location New York, NY Troy, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,012 7,024
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #124
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 City College of New York RPI
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $60,360
Room & Board $18,104 $17,530
Avg Net Price $4,599 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 96%

Admission

 City College of New York RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 16,283
Admitted 18,576 9,517
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 58.4%
Enrolled % 14.4% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.88
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/34
SAT Range 1220/1460 1330/1500
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 RPI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 City College of New York RPI
Graduation Rate 40% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $117 $284

Diversity

 City College of New York RPI
% Men 7% 10%
% Women 11% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 59%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 35% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 7%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 City College of New York RPI
% In-State 87% 36%
% Out-of-State 0% 58%

Campus

 City College of New York RPI
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 RPI based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 7,024 students)

City College of New York vs. RPI Cost Comparison

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

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 771% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($60,360.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 305.6% higher at RPI than CUNY City College ($60,360.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than RPI ($4,599 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 3.3% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($17,530 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than CUNY City College (96% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students is 376.3% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($43,994 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1368) is 243 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman RPI students have a 0.68 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than City College of New York (58.1%)

City College of New York vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at RPI is higher than CUNY City College (84% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $32,700 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $16,100 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($11,400 vs. $27,500)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $167 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($117 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 52%)

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