UCI vs. City College of New York

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

 UCI City College of New York
Location Irvine, CA New York, NY
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 36,582 15,012
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #276
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI City College of New York
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $14,880
Room & Board $18,423 $18,104
Avg Net Price $14,647 $4,599
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $9,236
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 86%

Admission

 UCI City College of New York
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 121,101 31,988
Admitted 30,962 18,576
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 58.1%
Enrolled % 21.9% 14.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.2
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 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

 UCI City College of New York
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 UCI City College of New York
Graduation Rate 85% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $49,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $11,400
Median Loan Payment $175 $117

Diversity

 UCI City College of New York
% Men 10% 7%
% Women 10% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 15%
% Black 2% 16%
% Hispanic 25% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 UCI City College of New York
% In-State 77% 87%
% Out-of-State 8% 0%

Campus

 UCI 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 Irvine is larger than than City College of New York based on total student enrollment (36,582 students vs. 15,012 students)

UCI vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Irvine 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 UCI 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 UCI ($4,599 vs. $14,647)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 1.8% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($18,104 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than University of California Irvine (86% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 133.1% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($21,533 vs. $9,236)

UCI vs. City College of New York Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI 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 UCI .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 50 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.55 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than UCI (25.6%)

UCI vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than CUNY City College (85% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $12,000 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $5,600 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($11,400 vs. $17,000)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($117 vs. $175)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 52%)

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