LaGuardia vs. TC3

Deciding between CUNY LaGuardia Community College and Tompkins Cortland Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

CUNY LaGuardia Community College
Tompkins Cortland Community College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • LaGuardia Long Island City, NY
  • TC3 Dryden, NY
  • Setting
  • LaGuardia Large City
  • TC3 Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • LaGuardia 14,494
  • TC3 4,958
  • Type
  • LaGuardia Public 2 Year
  • TC3 Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • Religious Affiliation
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Status
  • LaGuardia Non-profit
  • TC3 Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • LaGuardia $5,218
  • TC3 $6,970
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • LaGuardia $8,098
  • TC3 $12,855
  • Room & Board
  • LaGuardia $24,731
  • TC3 $11,626
  • Average Net Price
  • LaGuardia $6,983
  • TC3 $12,465
  • Average Grant Aid
  • LaGuardia $6,396
  • TC3 $7,356
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • LaGuardia 86%
  • TC3 80%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Admitted
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • LaGuardia Open
  • TC3 Open
  • Enrolled
  • LaGuardia Open
  • TC3 Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • Typical ACT score
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • Average High School GPA
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Admissions Standards
  • LaGuardia Unavailable
  • TC3 Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • ACT Range
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • SAT Range
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3
  • Submit Test Scores
  • LaGuardia Open admission
  • TC3 Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • LaGuardia
  • TC3 Jul 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • LaGuardia 19:1
  • TC3 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • LaGuardia
    • Business (33%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
    • Health Professions (21%)
    • Physical Sciences (5%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (4%)
  • TC3
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (39%)
    • Business (18%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Health Professions (8%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • LaGuardia -
  • TC3 -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • LaGuardia $36,700
  • TC3 $33,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • LaGuardia 44%
  • TC3 42%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • LaGuardia $5,500
  • TC3 $13,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • LaGuardia $56
  • TC3 $134

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • LaGuardia 46%
  • TC3 43%
  • % Women
  • LaGuardia 54%
  • TC3 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • LaGuardia Very High
  • TC3 Medium
  • HBCU
  • LaGuardia No
  • TC3 No
  • % White
  • LaGuardia 10%
  • TC3 62%
  • % Asian
  • LaGuardia 15%
  • TC3 1%
  • % Black
  • LaGuardia 19%
  • TC3 14%
  • % Hispanic
  • LaGuardia 46%
  • TC3 11%
  • % Native American
  • LaGuardia 0%
  • TC3 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • LaGuardia 0%
  • TC3 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • LaGuardia 1%
  • TC3 4%
  • % International
  • LaGuardia 8%
  • TC3 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • LaGuardia 0%
  • TC3 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • LaGuardia 85%
  • TC3 91%
  • % Out-of-State
  • LaGuardia 0%
  • TC3 5%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • LaGuardia No
  • TC3 Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • LaGuardia No
  • TC3 No
  • Meal Plan
  • LaGuardia No
  • TC3 Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • LaGuardia Yes
  • TC3 Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • LaGuardia Yes
  • TC3 Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare CUNY LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, NY with Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY LaGuardia Community College is larger than TC3 based on total student enrollment (14,494 students vs. 4,958 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • CUNY LaGuardia Community College is located in Long Island City, NY (Large City setting); Tompkins Cortland Community College is in Dryden, NY (Rural Fringe setting).
  • CUNY LaGuardia Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Tompkins Cortland Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: CUNY LaGuardia Community College 19:1; Tompkins Cortland Community College 12:1.

LaGuardia vs. TC3 Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LaGuardia or TC3? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY LaGuardia Community College than TC3 ($6,983 vs. $12,465).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tompkins Cortland Community College are 53% lower than at CUNY LaGuardia Community College ($11,626 vs. $24,731).
  • Tompkins Cortland Community College is 33.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than LaGuardia (about $1,752 more per year; $6,970.00 vs. $5,218.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 58.7% higher at TC3 than at CUNY LaGuardia Community College (about $4,757 more per year; $12,855.00 vs. $8,098.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY LaGuardia Community College than at Tompkins Cortland Community College (86% vs. 80%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Tompkins Cortland Community College students is 15% larger than aid received by CUNY LaGuardia Community College students ($7,356 vs. $6,396).

LaGuardia vs. TC3 Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, LaGuardia or TC3? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between TC3 and LaGuardia.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: LaGuardia - Open admission; TC3 - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: TC3 Jul 15, 2027.

LaGuardia vs. TC3 Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for LaGuardia and TC3? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Graduates from CUNY LaGuardia Community College earn a median of about $3,300 more per year than TC3 graduates about ten years after starting college ($36,700 vs. $33,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY LaGuardia Community College graduates have a $7,500 lower median loan debt than TC3 graduates ($5,500 vs. $13,000).
  • Among borrowers, LaGuardia graduates have an estimated $78 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than TC3 graduates ($56 vs. $134).
  • More LaGuardia graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TC3 students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 42%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.