UCLA vs. City College of New York

Should I go to University of California Los Angeles or CUNY City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCLA 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Hunter UC Berkeley UCI UCSD Michigan USC Stanford UCSB Baruch UVA UT Austin UC Davis
University of California Los Angeles vs. CUNY City College comparison
University of California Los Angeles CUNY City College College 3 College 4
University of California Los Angeles CUNY City College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCLA City College of New York
Location Los Angeles, CA New York, NY
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,678 15,012
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #62 #276
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCLA City College of New York
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $14,880
Room & Board $17,148 $18,104
Avg Net Price $15,166 $4,599
Avg Grant Aid $22,441 $9,236
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 86%

Admission

UCLA City College of New York
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 145,903 31,988
Admitted 12,736 18,576
Acceptance Rate 8.7% 58.1%
Enrolled % 51.7% 14.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.2
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35
SAT Range 1300/1530 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

UCLA City College of New York
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

UCLA City College of New York
Graduation Rate 90% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $49,800
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $11,400
Median Loan Payment $168 $117

Diversity

UCLA City College of New York
% Men 15% 7%
% Women 14% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 15%
% Black 3% 16%
% Hispanic 21% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 13% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

UCLA City College of New York
% In-State 79% 87%
% Out-of-State 13% 0%

Campus

UCLA 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 Los Angeles is larger than than City College of New York based on total student enrollment (46,678 students vs. 15,012 students)

UCLA vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Los Angeles 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 UCLA 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 UCLA ($4,599 vs. $15,166)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 5.6% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($17,148 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than University of California Los Angeles (86% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 143% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($22,441 vs. $9,236)

UCLA vs. City College of New York Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCLA 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 UCLA .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 214 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.72 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than UCLA (8.7%)

UCLA vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than CUNY City College (90% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $20,900 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $4,900 lower median federal student loan debt than UCLA graduates. ($11,400 vs. $16,300)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UCLA graduates. ($117 vs. $168)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 52%)

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