True College Verdict
B

CUNY City College

New York, NY · 12,505 undergraduates · 63% receive Pell Grants · admits 60%
PublicMainly bachelor's degrees

A good choice overall. It ranks 272 of 1,755 four-year colleges on student outcomes, with an overall score of 74.7 out of 100.

Is it affordable?
Yes
Average net price $1,557 a year after grants. Typical for similar colleges: $19,899.
Will most students finish?
About half
58% graduate within 8 years. Typical for similar colleges: 59%.
Is it worth the price?
Likely
Graduates owe a typical $11,695 against earnings of $69,594, a ratio of 0.17. Under 0.4 is comfortable; over 0.7 is heavy.

These three answers are rules of thumb from the numbers below, not advice for any one student or major.

What do students really think?

You have seen the federal numbers for CUNY City College. Now hear from people who went there, or add your own experience. Anonymous, no account.

Would you choose it again? That is the first question the rating form asks.

Why it is good

  • Strong pay: typical earnings ten years after starting are $69,594, higher than 75% of four-year colleges.
  • Earnings beat expectations by about $19,928 a year for a college with its student mix (the estimate is rough, with a typical error of about $15,000).
  • Debt is manageable: graduates owe a typical $11,695 in federal loans against earnings of $69,594.
  • Affordable: the average student pays about $1,557 a year after grants, cheaper than 99% of four-year colleges.

Why it is bad

Nothing stands out as clearly worse than similar colleges.

The numbers

What these figures measure

Graduation rate: share of all students, full-time or part-time, who finish within 8 years. Return for year 2: share of first-time, full-time students who come back for a second year. Earnings: median pay about 10 years after starting, for students who received federal aid. Debt: median federal loan debt among those who finish. Net price: average yearly cost after grants and scholarships. All from the U.S. Education Department College Scorecard, institution file dated November 2, 2026.

Graduation rate
58%
Better than 48% of similar colleges. Typical: 59%
Return for year 2
79%
Better than 60% of similar colleges. Typical: 77%
Earnings after 10 years
$69,594
Better than 75% of similar colleges. Typical: $58,912
Debt at graduation
$11,695
Better than 95% of similar colleges. Typical: $21,609
Net price per year
$1,557
Better than 99% of similar colleges. Typical: $19,899
Published tuition
$7,340
Out of state: $15,290

Programs and early earnings

Bachelor's degrees: largest programs

Certificates and diplomas: largest programs

FieldGraduates a yearEarnings, 2 yrs afterDebt
Publishing11n/an/a

Earnings are the median pay two years after completing, for graduates who were working and not enrolled again. The federal government hides figures for small programs, shown as n/a. Fields are broad groups, so a college may offer several majors inside one.

Students and reviews

Numbers cannot tell you about teaching, dorms or campus life. Read and write anonymous student reviews for CUNY City College, or ask and answer questions about it. Other sources:

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The grade reflects outcomes for the average student compared with other four-year colleges. Individual majors can be much better or worse.