John Jay vs. Wagner College

Should I go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice or Wagner College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if John Jay or Wagner 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 John Jay College of Criminal Justice vs. Wagner College comparison
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Wagner College College 3 College 4
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Wagner College
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Overview

John Jay Wagner College
Location New York, NY Staten Island, NY
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 13,510 1,932
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #556 #350
Religious Affiliation - Lutheran Church in America - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu wagner.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

John Jay Wagner College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $50,200
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $50,200
Room & Board $21,788 $15,600
Avg Net Price $4,141 $28,109
Avg Grant Aid $9,284 $35,322
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 100%

Admission

John Jay Wagner College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,921 2,328
Admitted 10,255 1,943
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 83.5%
Enrolled % 19.8% 20.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.5
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/27
SAT Range 1000/1250 1150/1320
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 15, 2026

Academics

John Jay Wagner College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (54%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Legal Professions (5%)
  • Human Services (3%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

John Jay Wagner College
Graduation Rate 39% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $64,100
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,000 $26,379
Median Loan Payment $103 $272

Diversity

John Jay Wagner College
% Men 4% 4%
% Women 9% 14%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 18% 66%
% Black 17% 7%
% Hispanic 48% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

John Jay Wagner College
% In-State 90% 46%
% Out-of-State 0% 46%

Campus

John Jay Wagner College
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is larger than than Wagner College based on total student enrollment (13,510 students vs. 1,932 students)

John Jay vs. Wagner College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, John Jay or Wagner College?

  • Wagner College is 624.4% more expensive to attend than John Jay for in-state tuition ($50,200.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 237.4% higher at Wagner College than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($50,200.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than Wagner College ($4,141 vs. $28,109)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wagner College are 39.7% lower than costs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($15,600 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wagner College than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (100% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wagner College students is 280.5% larger than aid received CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($35,322 vs. $9,284)

John Jay vs. Wagner College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Wagner College students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at John Jay (3.24)
  • Wagner College has a higher acceptance rate (83.5%) than John Jay (57.2%)

John Jay vs. Wagner College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, John Jay or Wagner 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 Wagner College and John Jay.

  • The graduation rate at Wagner College is higher than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (67% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from Wagner College earn on average $16,200 more per year than John Jay graduates after ten years. ($64,100 vs. $47,900)
  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students graduate with a $16,379 lower median federal student loan debt than Wagner College graduates. ($10,000 vs. $26,379)
  • John Jay graduates are paying $169 less per month on federal student loans than Wagner College graduates. ($103 vs. $272)
  • More Wagner College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former John Jay students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 52%)

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