City College of New York vs. UNC Chapel Hill

Should I go to CUNY City College or University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or UNC Chapel Hill 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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comparison
CUNY City College University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College 3 College 4
CUNY City College University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Overview

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
Location New York, NY Chapel Hill, NC
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,012 32,234
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #60
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu unc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $7,019
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $37,360
Room & Board $18,104 $13,016
Avg Net Price $4,599 $11,140
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $15,365
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 38%

Admission

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 57,902
Admitted 18,576 10,850
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 18.7%
Enrolled % 14.4% 43.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.83
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 30/34
SAT Range 1220/1460 1370/1530
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 UNC Chapel Hill
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
Graduation Rate 40% 89%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $66,100
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $16,479
Median Loan Payment $117 $170

Diversity

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
% Men 7% 14%
% Women 11% 22%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 64%
% Black 16% 8%
% Hispanic 35% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
% In-State 87% 79%
% Out-of-State 0% 15%

Campus

City College of New York UNC Chapel Hill
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

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than City College of New York based on total student enrollment (32,234 students vs. 15,012 students)

City College of New York vs. UNC Chapel Hill Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or UNC Chapel Hill?

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is 1.3% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($7,019.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 151.1% higher at UNC Chapel Hill than CUNY City College ($37,360.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than UNC Chapel Hill ($4,599 vs. $11,140)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 39.1% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($13,016 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (86% vs. 38%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students is 66.4% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($15,365 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. UNC Chapel Hill Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 218 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Chapel Hill students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than UNC Chapel Hill (18.7%)

City College of New York vs. UNC Chapel Hill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, City College of New York or UNC Chapel Hill? 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 UNC Chapel Hill and City College of New York.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than CUNY City College (89% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $16,300 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $5,079 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Chapel Hill graduates. ($11,400 vs. $16,479)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Chapel Hill graduates. ($117 vs. $170)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 52%)

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