City College of New York vs. Union College

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

City College of New York Union College
Location New York, NY Schenectady, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,012 2,082
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #87
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu union.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Union College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $66,105
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $66,105
Room & Board $18,104 $16,389
Avg Net Price $4,599 $42,884
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $38,751
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 94%

Admission

City College of New York Union College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 9,295
Admitted 18,576 4,070
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 43.8%
Enrolled % 14.4% 13.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.5
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/33
SAT Range 1220/1460 1310/1480
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 Union College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Union College
Graduation Rate 40% 86%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $74,200
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $117 $279

Diversity

City College of New York Union College
% Men 7% 0%
% Women 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 15% 73%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 35% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 6% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

City College of New York Union College
% In-State 87% 28%
% Out-of-State 0% 63%

Campus

City College of New York Union College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
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 Union College based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 2,082 students)

City College of New York vs. Union College Cost Comparison

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

  • Union College is 853.9% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($66,105.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 344.3% higher at Union College than CUNY City College ($66,105.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Union College ($4,599 vs. $42,884)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Union College are 10.5% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($16,389 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Union College than CUNY City College (94% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Union College students is 319.6% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($38,751 vs. $9,236)

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

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

  • Accepted freshman Union College students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Union College (43.8%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at Union College is higher than CUNY City College (86% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Union College earn on average $24,400 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($74,200 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $15,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Union College graduates. ($11,400 vs. $27,000)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $162 less per month on federal student loans than Union College graduates. ($117 vs. $279)
  • More Union College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 52%)

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