CUNY City College

In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, CUNY--City College placed 156th, reflecting an overall rise from 228th in 2020 despite slipping from its peak of 105th in 2024. Gaining admission remains relatively competitive compared to its institutional peers. In 2025, the college admitted 60% of applicants, an admit rate higher than 10% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked public universities. This selective entry standard contrasts with how strongly the college draws those who receive an offer. Its yield rate stood at 12.3% that same year, placing it lower than all peer schools in the comparison group. For prospective students, these patterns indicate that while securing an offer is comparatively demanding among peers, City College enrolls a modest share of accepted applicants, showing that many who are admitted decide to attend elsewhere.

Undergraduate admission at CUNY--City College is optional, considered if submitted, meaning standardized tests are not required for an application to receive full review. For the 2025 entering class, score ranges spanned from 540 to 700 on SAT Reading and Writing, alongside 530 to 730 on SAT Math. When measured against similarly ranked public national universities, the institution's median SAT standing was higher than 65% of peer schools. However, test submission has dropped substantially across the student body over the past decade. While testing was once nearly universal among freshmen, only 11% of students submitted SAT results in 2025, and ACT submission was similarly sparse in 2021. For families and prospective students evaluating academic credentials, these figures illustrate that submitting students typically demonstrate solid foundational skills in reading and mathematics, though applicants who choose not to provide standardized testing remain eligible for admission.

Undergraduate degrees at CUNY--City College are notably concentrated in liberal arts and social sciences, whereas its top-ranked academic departments lie in engineering. In 2025, the institution awarded 1,972 bachelor's degrees, and its three largest majors—Psychology, Economics, and Fine/Studio Arts—together accounted for 33.5% of all undergraduate credentials. However, these popular fields do not appear among the university's highest-ranked offerings. Instead, national recognition centers on graduate engineering disciplines; according to U.S. News, the graduate chemical engineering program was ranked 58th in 2026, and graduate biomedical engineering was ranked 97th. The university's technical programs also demonstrate strong workforce outcomes. Based on 2023 earnings data, bachelor's graduates in Computer Science achieved median earnings of $83,587 one year after graduation. For prospective applicants, this division reveals a campus where student enrollment is clustered in general fields, while technical and engineering specialties provide higher academic rankings and lucrative post-graduate earnings.

CUNY--City College educates an ethnically diverse student body across its undergraduate and graduate programs. Hispanic students form the largest single demographic group on campus, representing about four in ten undergraduate students. Asian students make up the second-largest community among undergraduates, with 684 incoming first-year students accounting for 26.9% of the freshman class. Continuing undergraduates show a similar distribution, where Asian students represent roughly a quarter of the population. International representation is modest at the undergraduate level, where 108 first-year international students comprise 4.2% of new arrivals. In the graduate division, international students hold a larger presence, comprising over one-tenth of all advanced-degree seekers. White and Black students also represent significant shares across both degree levels. For prospective students, these demographics reflect a multicultural urban campus where local commuter populations and regional communities predominate throughout undergraduate study.

The student body at CUNY--City College exhibits a distinct age split between its undergraduate and graduate populations. In 2025, undergraduate classrooms were dominated by traditional-age students, with those aged 18 to 19 making up 35.4% of the undergraduate total, followed by 20- to 21-year-olds at 26.8%. Together with students in their early twenties, traditional college-age learners define the undergraduate experience. Conversely, the graduate school enrolls an older demographic, led by students aged 25 to 29 who account for 31.4% of graduate students, alongside another 22.2% aged 22 to 24. For prospective applicants, this structure means undergraduate campus life is centered around young adults in their late teens and early twenties, while graduate academic environments bring together students who are further along in adulthood.

International enrollment at CUNY--City College is concentrated more heavily in advanced degree programs than in undergraduate classrooms. In 2025, international students comprised 4.4% of the undergraduate student body. When compared with 30 public comprehensive universities with similar rankings, this undergraduate proportion is higher than 87% of peer schools. At the graduate level, international scholars made up 11.6% of enrollment in 2025, maintaining a more substantial presence in research and advanced study. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students earned a modest share of bachelor's degrees, clustering most visibly in biology and economics. In graduate degree programs, international representation was significantly stronger; at the master's level, international students accounted for 18.9% of graduates in Sustainability Studies, alongside elevated participation in engineering master's and doctoral programs. For prospective international applicants, City College offers greater graduate-level representation and established international cohorts in specialized STEM and professional fields.

Applicants exploring CUNY--City College can consider several other higher education institutions located nearby in the New York metropolitan area. Just 1.0 kilometer away in upper Manhattan, Barnard College is a private institution ranked 19th among national liberal arts colleges in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Adjacent to it at a distance of 1.1 kilometers is Columbia University in the City of New York, a national university holding the 12th position nationally. Heading slightly north, Yeshiva University is located 2.3 kilometers from campus and is ranked 90th among national universities in 2027. Across the Harlem River in the Bronx, Fordham University sits 4.4 kilometers away and is ranked 85th among national universities. These surrounding institutions give prospective students multiple academic alternatives spanning private liberal arts and research universities within a four-mile radius.

Campus safety records at CUNY--City College indicate that disciplinary infractions represent the primary security concern rather than violent crimes. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 2.0, reflecting a downward trend from earlier years. Looking at cumulative incident totals between 2023 and 2025, university logs show that non-violent disciplinary referrals made up the largest categories of reported issues. Across that three-year span, the college recorded 50 alcohol disciplinary referrals and 24 drug disciplinary referrals. During that same period from 2023 to 2025, security reports documented 17 incidents of assault, while weapon arrests, thefts, and sexual harassment cases each remained at lower totals. For prospective students and families reviewing campus safety, these statistics demonstrate that disciplinary issues concerning substance policies account for the vast majority of infractions, while serious personal safety incidents occur at a comparatively modest frequency on campus.