UC Berkeley vs. City College of New York

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or CUNY City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley or City College of New York 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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University of California Berkeley vs. CUNY City College comparison
University of California Berkeley CUNY City College College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley CUNY City College
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Overview

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Location Berkeley, CA New York, NY
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,699 15,012
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #276
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $14,880
Room & Board $22,692 $18,104
Avg Net Price $16,997 $4,599
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $9,236
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 86%

Admission

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 125,910 31,988
Admitted 14,677 18,576
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 58.1%
Enrolled % 45.2% 14.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.2
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35
SAT Range 1310/1530 1220/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Graduation Rate 90% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $49,800
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $11,400
Median Loan Payment $146 $117

Diversity

UC Berkeley City College of New York
% Men 14% 7%
% Women 13% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 15%
% Black 2% 16%
% Hispanic 14% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 14% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UC Berkeley City College of New York
% In-State 79% 87%
% Out-of-State 10% 0%

Campus

UC Berkeley City College of New York
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than City College of New York based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 15,012 students)

UC Berkeley vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Berkeley is 70.8% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 186.4% higher at UC Berkeley than CUNY City College ($42,611.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than UC Berkeley ($4,599 vs. $16,997)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 25.3% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($18,104 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than University of California Berkeley (86% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 181% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($25,951 vs. $9,236)

UC Berkeley vs. City College of New York Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 272 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley 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 (58.1%) than UC Berkeley (11.7%)

UC Berkeley vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley or City College of New York? 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 City College of New York and UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than CUNY City College (90% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $24,900 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $2,800 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Berkeley graduates. ($11,400 vs. $14,200)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than UC Berkeley graduates. ($117 vs. $146)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 52%)

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