City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly

Should I go to CUNY City College or SUNY Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or SUNY Poly 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. 

Hunter Baruch Brooklyn College Lehman Binghamton University SUNY Stony Brook UB John Jay Queens College University at Albany- SUNY Columbia Fordham
CUNY City College vs. SUNY Polytechnic Institute comparison
CUNY City College SUNY Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
CUNY City College SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
Location New York, NY Utica, NY
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 14,489 2,842
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #305 #257
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu sunyit.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $17,830
Room & Board $17,076 $14,008
Avg Net Price $5,181 $13,799
Avg Grant Aid $9,822 $9,497
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 89%

Admission

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 33,648 2,919
Admitted 22,410 2,384
Acceptance Rate 66.6% 81.7%
Enrolled % 12.2% 16%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.7
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 23/31
SAT Range 1050/1260 1040/1400
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
Graduation Rate 40% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $53,200
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $16,585
Median Loan Payment $117 $171

Diversity

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
% Men 45% 59%
% Women 55% 41%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 15% 79%
% Black 16% 6%
% Hispanic 35% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 6% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

 City College of New York SUNY Poly
% In-State 90% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 3%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (14,489 students vs. 2,842 students)

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Cost Comparison

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

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute 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 19.8% higher at SUNY Poly than CUNY City College ($17,830.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than SUNY Poly ($5,181 vs. $13,799)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 21.9% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($14,008 vs. $17,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (100% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by CUNY City College students is 3.4% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($9,822 vs. $9,497)

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (1141) is 16 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than City College of New York (66.6%)

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at SUNY Poly is higher than CUNY City College (47% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn on average $3,400 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($53,200 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $5,185 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY Poly graduates. ($11,400 vs. $16,585)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $54 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY Poly graduates. ($117 vs. $171)
  • More SUNY Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 52%)

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