City University of New York: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
New York, New York · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
City University of New York is a public university in New York, New York that admits about 50% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $2,978 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Accounting and Related Services and General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 72% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 0.1 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
City University of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, City University of New York admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 50%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT around 1310. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $2,978 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether City University of New York is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for City University of New York?
City University of New York admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does City University of New York weight in admissions?
City University of New York reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Work experience
- • Class rank
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores City University of New York typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–730, with an EBRW midpoint near —. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 1310 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| % submitting SAT | 12% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
How much does City University of New York actually cost?
Published tuition is $7,464 for in-state students and $15,414 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,684 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $2,978 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 55% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $6,930 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $18,600 |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $2,978 |
| Application fee | $65 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for City University of New York
| Regular deadline | February 1 |
| Notification date | February 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from City University of New York?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at City University of New York
The most popular undergraduate programs at City University of New York, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Accounting and Related Services and General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations. Across all programs, City University of New York confers roughly 3,050 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $85,456 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 986 | $85,456 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 608 | $88,833 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | 507 | $73,389 |
| Information Science/Studies | 274 | $88,714 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 235 | $68,206 |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 212 | $67,675 |
| Psychology, General | 125 | $61,820 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 103 | $96,921 |
Is City University of New York safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), City University of New York disclosed 1 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 0.1 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 0 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at City University of New York?
About 2% of undergraduates at City University of New York live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like City University of New York
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like City University of New York recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about City University of New York
What GPA do I need for City University of New York?
City University of New York admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does City University of New York typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–730, with an EBRW midpoint near —.
How much does City University of New York actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at City University of New York after grants and scholarships is $2,978 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is City University of New York realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, City University of New York is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at City University of New York?
City University of New York accepts about 50% of applicants out of roughly 28,111 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is City University of New York test-optional?
Yes. City University of New York is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at City University of New York?
About 72% of students at City University of New York graduate within six years. 89% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does City University of New York look for in applicants?
City University of New York rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is City University of New York a public or private school, and where is it located?
City University of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York.
What are the most popular majors at City University of New York?
The largest undergraduate majors at City University of New York by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Accounting and Related Services and General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations. The school awards about 3,050 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is City University of New York safe? What is its campus crime rate?
City University of New York reported 1 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 0.1 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at City University of New York?
At City University of New York, 2% of undergraduates live on campus, 0% of men are in fraternities, 0% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by City University of New York, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.