William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. City College of New York

Deciding between William Paterson University of New Jersey 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.

William Paterson University of New Jersey
CUNY City College

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • Setting
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Large Suburban
  • City College of New York Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 9,942
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • Type
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Public 4 Year
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey #595
  • City College of New York #313
  • Religious Affiliation
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey -
  • City College of New York -
  • Status
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Non-profit
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • Website
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey wpunj.edu
  • City College of New York cuny.edu
  • Team Colors
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • City College of New York

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $15,704
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $25,344
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • Room & Board
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $16,240
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • Average Net Price
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $13,509
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • Average Grant Aid
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $15,040
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 86%
  • City College of New York 88%

  • Admissions

  • Admission Chances
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Calculate
  • City College of New York Calculate
  • Applied
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 9,165
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • Admitted
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 8,256
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • Acceptance Rate
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 90.1%
  • City College of New York 60%
  • Enrolled
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 12.6%
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 1170
  • City College of New York 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • City College of New York
  • Average High School GPA
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 2.97
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • Typical High School Grades
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey B
  • City College of New York B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Difficult
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • City College of New York Low
  • ACT Range
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • City College of New York
  • SAT Range
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 990/1345
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • Submit Test Scores
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Test optional
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Jun 1, 2027
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 18:1
  • City College of New York 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
    • Business (23%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Education (10%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Psychology (8%)
  • 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
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 46%
  • City College of New York 40%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $46,500
  • City College of New York $49,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 59%
  • City College of New York 52%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $24,500
  • City College of New York $11,400
  • Median Loan Payment
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $253
  • City College of New York $117

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 33%
  • City College of New York 47%
  • % Women
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 67%
  • City College of New York 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey High
  • City College of New York Very High
  • HBCU
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • City College of New York No
  • % White
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 43%
  • City College of New York 15%
  • % Asian
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 7%
  • City College of New York 25%
  • % Black
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 16%
  • City College of New York 16%
  • % Hispanic
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 27%
  • City College of New York 35%
  • % Native American
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • City College of New York 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 3%
  • City College of New York 2%
  • % International
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • City College of New York 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 3%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 92%
  • City College of New York 83%
  • % Out-of-State
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 5%
  • City College of New York 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • City College of New York Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • City College of New York No
  • Meal Plan
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • City College of New York No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • City College of New York No
  • Daycare Facility
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • City College of New York Yes
  • Learn More
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Details
  • City College of New York Details

Comparable Facts

Compare William Paterson University of New Jersey in Wayne, NJ 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 William Paterson University of New Jersey based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 9,942 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is located in Wayne, NJ (Large Suburban setting); CUNY City College is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: William Paterson University of New Jersey 18:1; CUNY City College 15:1.

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William Paterson University of New Jersey 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 William Paterson University of New Jersey ($4,664 vs. $13,509).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at William Paterson University of New Jersey are 13.8% lower than at CUNY City College ($16,240 vs. $18,840).
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is 114% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $8,364 more per year; $15,704.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 65.8% higher at William Paterson University of New Jersey than at CUNY City College (about $10,054 more per year; $25,344.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY City College than at William Paterson University of New Jersey (88% vs. 86%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Paterson University of New Jersey students is 54.1% larger than aid received by CUNY City College students ($15,040 vs. $9,763).

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. City College of New York Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, William Paterson University of New Jersey 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 William Paterson University of New Jersey.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at CUNY City College (1250) is 80 points higher than at William Paterson University of New Jersey (1170).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William Paterson University of New Jersey 990/1345; CUNY City College 1070/1430.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: William Paterson University of New Jersey - Test optional; City College of New York - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: William Paterson University of New Jersey Jun 1, 2027; City College of New York Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman City College of New York students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.2) than students at William Paterson University of New Jersey (2.97).
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey has a higher acceptance rate (90.1%) than City College of New York (60%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.6% at William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. 12.3% at City College of New York.

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for William Paterson University of New Jersey 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).

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey's six-year graduation rate (46%) is higher than CUNY City College's (40%).
  • Graduates from CUNY City College earn a median of about $3,300 more per year than William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates about ten years after starting college ($49,800 vs. $46,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $13,100 lower median loan debt than William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates ($11,400 vs. $24,500).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $136 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates ($117 vs. $253).
  • More William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (59% 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.