City College of New York vs. Purchase College

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

City College of New York Purchase College
Location New York, NY Purchase, NY
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,012 3,229
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #297
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu purchase.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Purchase College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $16,980
Room & Board $18,104 $15,400
Avg Net Price $4,599 $18,651
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $9,627
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 72%

Admission

City College of New York Purchase College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 7,221
Admitted 18,576 5,259
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 72.8%
Enrolled % 14.4% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.37
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1220/1460 1178/1363
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, 2025 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

City College of New York Purchase College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Purchase College
Graduation Rate 40% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $40,200
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $117 $232

Diversity

City College of New York Purchase College
% Men 7% 1%
% Women 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 55%
% Black 16% 10%
% Hispanic 35% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

City College of New York Purchase College
% In-State 87% 78%
% Out-of-State 0% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 3,229 students)

City College of New York vs. Purchase College Cost Comparison

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

  • SUNY at Purchase College is 2% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($7,070.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.1% higher at Purchase College than CUNY City College ($16,980.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Purchase College ($4,599 vs. $18,651)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 17.6% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($15,400 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than SUNY at Purchase College (86% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY at Purchase College students is 4.2% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($9,627 vs. $9,236)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at CUNY City College (1125) is 43 points higher than at Purchase College (1082)
  • Accepted freshman Purchase College students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • Purchase College has a higher acceptance rate (72.8%) than City College of New York (58.1%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at Purchase College is higher than CUNY City College (56% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from CUNY City College earn on average $9,600 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($49,800 vs. $40,200)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $11,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Purchase College graduates. ($11,400 vs. $22,500)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $115 less per month on federal student loans than Purchase College graduates. ($117 vs. $232)
  • More Purchase College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 52%)

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