City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly

Deciding between CUNY City College and SUNY Polytechnic Institute? 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.

CUNY City College
SUNY Polytechnic Institute

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • SUNY Poly Utica, NY
  • Setting
  • City College of New York Large City
  • SUNY Poly Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • SUNY Poly 2,733
  • Type
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • SUNY Poly Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • City College of New York #313
  • SUNY Poly #327
  • Religious Affiliation
  • City College of New York -
  • SUNY Poly -
  • Status
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • SUNY Poly Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • City College of New York
  • SUNY Poly
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • SUNY Poly $8,625
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • SUNY Poly $21,215
  • Room & Board
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • SUNY Poly $16,584
  • Average Net Price
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • SUNY Poly $14,782
  • Average Grant Aid
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • SUNY Poly $8,357
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • City College of New York 88%
  • SUNY Poly 100%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • SUNY Poly 5,329
  • Admitted
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • SUNY Poly 4,335
  • Acceptance Rate
  • City College of New York 60%
  • SUNY Poly 81.3%
  • Enrolled
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • SUNY Poly 8.7%
  • Typical SAT score
  • City College of New York 1250
  • SUNY Poly 1200
  • Typical ACT score
  • City College of New York
  • SUNY Poly 26
  • Average High School GPA
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • SUNY Poly 3.7
  • Typical High School Grades
  • City College of New York B+
  • SUNY Poly A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • City College of New York Very High
  • SUNY Poly Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • City College of New York Low
  • SUNY Poly
  • ACT Range
  • City College of New York
  • SUNY Poly 22/30
  • SAT Range
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • SUNY Poly 1025/1370
  • Submit Test Scores
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • SUNY Poly Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027
  • SUNY Poly Aug 1, 2027
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • City College of New York 15:1
  • SUNY Poly 13:1
  • Popular Majors
  • City College of New York
    • Psychology (15%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • SUNY Poly
    • Business (24%)
    • Engineering Technology (20%)
    • Health Professions (20%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
    • Psychology (10%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • City College of New York 40%
  • SUNY Poly 47%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • City College of New York $49,800
  • SUNY Poly $53,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • City College of New York 52%
  • SUNY Poly 63%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • City College of New York $11,400
  • SUNY Poly $16,585
  • Median Loan Payment
  • City College of New York $117
  • SUNY Poly $171
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • City College of New York 47%
  • SUNY Poly 57%
  • % Women
  • City College of New York 53%
  • SUNY Poly 43%
  • Racial Diversity
  • City College of New York Very High
  • SUNY Poly Low
  • HBCU
  • City College of New York No
  • SUNY Poly No
  • % White
  • City College of New York 15%
  • SUNY Poly 79%
  • % Asian
  • City College of New York 25%
  • SUNY Poly 4%
  • % Black
  • City College of New York 16%
  • SUNY Poly 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • City College of New York 35%
  • SUNY Poly 7%
  • % Native American
  • City College of New York 0%
  • SUNY Poly 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • City College of New York 0%
  • SUNY Poly 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • City College of New York 2%
  • SUNY Poly 2%
  • % International
  • City College of New York 6%
  • SUNY Poly 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • City College of New York 0%
  • SUNY Poly 0%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • City College of New York 83%
  • SUNY Poly 95%
  • % Out-of-State
  • City College of New York 0%
  • SUNY Poly 3%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • City College of New York Yes
  • SUNY Poly Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • City College of New York No
  • SUNY Poly No
  • Meal Plan
  • City College of New York No
  • SUNY Poly Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • City College of New York No
  • SUNY Poly Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • City College of New York Yes
  • SUNY Poly No

Comparable Facts

Compare CUNY City College in New York, NY with SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY City College is larger than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 2,733 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • CUNY City College is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); SUNY Polytechnic Institute is in Utica, NY (Rural Fringe setting).
  • CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. SUNY Polytechnic Institute is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: CUNY City College 15:1; SUNY Polytechnic Institute 13:1.

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or SUNY Poly? 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 SUNY Poly ($4,664 vs. $14,782).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 12% lower than at CUNY City College ($16,584 vs. $18,840).
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute is 17.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $1,285 more per year; $8,625.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 38.8% higher at SUNY Poly than at CUNY City College (about $5,925 more per year; $21,215.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than at CUNY City College (100% vs. 88%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by CUNY City College students is 16.8% larger than aid received by SUNY Polytechnic Institute students ($9,763 vs. $8,357).

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or SUNY Poly? 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 SUNY Poly and City College of New York.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at CUNY City College (1250) is 50 points higher than at SUNY Poly (1200).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: CUNY City College 1070/1430; SUNY Polytechnic Institute 1025/1370.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSUNY Polytechnic Institute 22/30.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: City College of New York - Test optional; SUNY Poly - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: City College of New York Feb 1, 2027; SUNY Poly Aug 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at City College of New York (3.2).
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.3%) than City College of New York (60%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.3% at City College of New York vs. 8.7% at SUNY Poly.

City College of New York vs. SUNY Poly Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for City College of New York and SUNY Poly? 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).

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute's six-year graduation rate (47%) is higher than CUNY City College's (40%).
  • Graduates from SUNY Polytechnic Institute earn a median of about $3,400 more per year than City College of New York graduates about ten years after starting college ($53,200 vs. $49,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $5,185 lower median loan debt than SUNY Poly graduates ($11,400 vs. $16,585).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $54 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SUNY Poly graduates ($117 vs. $171).
  • More SUNY Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (63% 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.