UCI vs. Hunter

Should I go to University of California Irvine or CUNY Hunter College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or Hunter 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

City College of New York UCLA UCSD UCSB UC Davis UC Riverside Queens College UCSC UC Berkeley Baruch Cal Poly SUNY Stony Brook
University of California Irvine vs. CUNY Hunter College comparison
University of California Irvine CUNY Hunter College College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine CUNY Hunter College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCI Hunter
Location Irvine, CA New York, NY
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 36,582 22,879
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #283
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI Hunter
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $14,880
Room & Board $18,423 $11,324
Avg Net Price $14,647 $4,127
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $9,624
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 88%

Admission

 UCI Hunter
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 121,101 31,614
Admitted 30,962 17,087
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 54%
Enrolled % 21.9% 18.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 1210/1470
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

Academics

 UCI Hunter
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)

Outcomes

 UCI Hunter
Graduation Rate 85% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $11,548
Median Loan Payment $175 $119

Diversity

 UCI Hunter
% Men 10% 6%
% Women 10% 18%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 27%
% Black 2% 10%
% Hispanic 25% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 UCI Hunter
% In-State 77% 85%
% Out-of-State 8% 0%

Campus

 UCI Hunter
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 Hunter based on total student enrollment (36,582 students vs. 22,879 students)

UCI vs. Hunter Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or Hunter?

  • University of California Irvine is 70.8% more expensive to attend than Hunter for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 186.4% higher at UCI than CUNY Hunter College ($42,611.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY Hunter College than UCI ($4,127 vs. $14,647)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY Hunter College are 62.7% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($11,324 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY Hunter College than University of California Irvine (88% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 123.7% larger than aid received CUNY Hunter College ($21,533 vs. $9,624)

UCI vs. Hunter Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 10 points higher than at Hunter (1165)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Hunter (3.7)
  • Hunter has a higher acceptance rate (54%) than UCI (25.6%)

UCI vs. Hunter Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or Hunter? 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 Hunter and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than CUNY Hunter College (85% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $13,000 more per year than Hunter graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $48,800)
  • CUNY Hunter College students graduate with a $5,452 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($11,548 vs. $17,000)
  • Hunter graduates are paying $56 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($119 vs. $175)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Hunter students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 56%)

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