MHC vs. City College of New York

Deciding between Mount Holyoke College and CUNY City 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.

Mount Holyoke College
CUNY City College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • MHC South Hadley, MA
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • Setting
  • MHC Large Suburban
  • City College of New York Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • MHC 2,275
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • Type
  • MHC Private 4 Year
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MHC #81
  • City College of New York #313
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MHC -
  • City College of New York -
  • Status
  • MHC Non-profit
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MHC
  • City College of New York

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MHC $67,018
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MHC $67,018
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • Room & Board
  • MHC $19,684
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • Average Net Price
  • MHC $32,526
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MHC $52,418
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MHC 77%
  • City College of New York 88%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • MHC 5,226
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • Admitted
  • MHC 1,883
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • Acceptance Rate
  • MHC 36%
  • City College of New York 60%
  • Enrolled
  • MHC 27.2%
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • MHC 1460
  • City College of New York 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • MHC 33
  • City College of New York
  • Average High School GPA
  • MHC 3.87
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • Typical High School Grades
  • MHC A
  • City College of New York B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • MHC Elite
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • MHC High
  • City College of New York Low
  • ACT Range
  • MHC 32/35
  • City College of New York
  • SAT Range
  • MHC 1380/1530
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • Submit Test Scores
  • MHC Test optional
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • MHC Jan 15, 2027
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MHC 9:1
  • City College of New York 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MHC
    • Social Sciences (27%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • English and Literature (9%)
    • Psychology (8%)
    • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • City College of New York
    • Psychology (15%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MHC 85%
  • City College of New York 40%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MHC $50,000
  • City College of New York $49,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MHC 77%
  • City College of New York 52%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MHC $21,206
  • City College of New York $11,400
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MHC $219
  • City College of New York $117

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • MHC 1%
  • City College of New York 47%
  • % Women
  • MHC 99%
  • City College of New York 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • MHC Very High
  • City College of New York Very High
  • HBCU
  • MHC No
  • City College of New York No
  • % White
  • MHC 45%
  • City College of New York 15%
  • % Asian
  • MHC 10%
  • City College of New York 25%
  • % Black
  • MHC 6%
  • City College of New York 16%
  • % Hispanic
  • MHC 8%
  • City College of New York 35%
  • % Native American
  • MHC 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • MHC 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • MHC 4%
  • City College of New York 2%
  • % International
  • MHC 26%
  • City College of New York 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • MHC 1%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • MHC 19%
  • City College of New York 83%
  • % Out-of-State
  • MHC 63%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • MHC Yes
  • City College of New York Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • MHC No
  • City College of New York No
  • Meal Plan
  • MHC Yes
  • City College of New York No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • MHC No
  • City College of New York No
  • Daycare Facility
  • MHC No
  • City College of New York Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA with CUNY City College in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY City College is larger than MHC based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 2,275 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Mount Holyoke College is located in South Hadley, MA (Large Suburban setting); CUNY City College is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • Mount Holyoke College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Mount Holyoke College 9:1; CUNY City College 15:1.

MHC vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or City College of New York? 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 City College than MHC ($4,664 vs. $32,526).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 4.3% lower than at Mount Holyoke College ($18,840 vs. $19,684).
  • Mount Holyoke College is 813.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $59,678 more per year; $67,018.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 338.3% higher at MHC than at CUNY City College (about $51,728 more per year; $67,018.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY City College than at Mount Holyoke College (88% vs. 77%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Holyoke College students is 436.9% larger than aid received by CUNY City College students ($52,418 vs. $9,763).

MHC vs. City College of New York Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MHC or City College of New York? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between City College of New York and MHC.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Mount Holyoke College (1460) is 210 points higher than at City College of New York (1250).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Mount Holyoke College 1380/1530; CUNY City College 1070/1430.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Mount Holyoke College 32/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: MHC - Test optional; City College of New York - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: MHC Jan 15, 2027; City College of New York Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman MHC students have a 0.67 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at City College of New York (3.2).
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (60%) than MHC (36%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 27.2% at MHC vs. 12.3% at City College of New York.

MHC vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MHC and City College of New York? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Mount Holyoke College's six-year graduation rate (85%) is higher than CUNY City College's (40%).
  • Graduates from Mount Holyoke College earn a median of about $200 more per year than City College of New York graduates about ten years after starting college ($50,000 vs. $49,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $9,806 lower median loan debt than MHC graduates ($11,400 vs. $21,206).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $102 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than MHC graduates ($117 vs. $219).
  • More MHC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 52%)

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.