City College of New York vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

Should I go to CUNY City College or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York or Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Baruch Brooklyn College Lehman Binghamton University SUNY Stony Brook UB John Jay Queens College University at Albany- SUNY Columbia Fordham
CUNY City College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley comparison
CUNY City College Penn State Lehigh Valley College 3 College 4
CUNY City College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location New York, NY Center Valley, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 14,489 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #305
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $24,318
Room & Board $17,076 $12,984
Avg Net Price $5,181 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $9,822 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 78%

Admission

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 33,648 1,806
Admitted 22,410 1,699
Acceptance Rate 66.6% 94.1%
Enrolled % 12.2% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 22/26
SAT Range 1050/1260 1100/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2024

Academics

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 40% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $117 $277

Diversity

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 45% 57%
% Women 55% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 64%
% Black 16% 6%
% Hispanic 35% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 90% 93%
% Out-of-State 0% 6%

Campus

City College of New York Penn State Lehigh Valley
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (14,489 students vs. 888 students)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 111% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 63.4% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than CUNY City College ($24,318.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($5,181 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 31.5% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($12,984 vs. $17,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 0.7% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($9,886 vs. $9,822)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Lehigh Valley or City College of New York .

  • The average SAT score at CUNY City College (1125) is 106 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than City College of New York (66.6%)

City College of New York vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, City College of New York or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Penn State Lehigh Valley and City College of New York.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is higher than CUNY City College (47% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $5,500 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $15,418 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($11,400 vs. $26,818)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $160 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($117 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 52%)

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