A Quick Guide to the City College of New York
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Gail Fong, Admissions Counselor for CCNY, in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
What is CCNY?
Founded in 1847, prior to the Civil War, City College of New York, also known as City College or CCNY, is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) public university system of New York City. As a founding college within the CUNY system, CCNY offers Bachelors, Masters and Phd programs across a number of disciplines.
As one of the few colleges located within the borough of Manhattan, the campus stretches across ten city blocks between 130th and 140th Street. The campus consists of a number of buildings, ranging from its early beginnings in the 1800s to its state of the art research centers opened in 2014. Students can access the campus using the A, B, C, D and 1 train lines, with free shuttle buses for students running between campus and the surrounding subway stations for those who’d prefer not to walk.
City College offers virtual and in-person campus tours led by both current students and alums.
Student Life at CCNY
Students have tons of opportunities to get involved and develop new interests on campus. In terms of athletics, CCNY is a Division III school with 14 varsity sports teams, including basketball, fencing, soccer, lacrosse, track, and tennis. The college is also home to numerous clubs and organizations, such as academic clubs, athletic clubs, cultural clubs, religious clubs, and social clubs. These include the Government Law Society, CCNY Arts and Crafts, Climb CCNY, and their Salsa and Mambo dance clubs, to name a few. With so many options, there’s a club or organization for everyone so that students can get to know their peers from both in and outside of their program of study.
CCNY also offers student housing for those interested in living in a dormitory or residence hall. The Towers, located toward the south end of campus, is an apartment-style residence hall on campus that consists of about 600 beds in various suite-types. Students can either have their own room, or share with a roommate, and depending on the set up have access to a shared kitchenette and common areas. The Towers are equipped with wifi, laundry facilities, large common rooms, and outdoor barbeque pits for all residents to use. Students are welcome to reach out and contact the Towers for tours of the housing options and facilities available.
For students living in and around the Towers, there are a number of dining and food options, including cafes, restaurants, and grocery options. Students can also take advantage of the campus cafeteria and food options as well.
Academic and Student Resources at CCNY
City College is home to about 15,000 students in total, with 12,000 of those students enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program. The average class size is about 25 students, with an overall teacher to student ratio of about 15-to-1.
Students have access to a ton of academic support on campus, with free tutoring available across subjects. There are also specialized resource centers, such as the writing, accessibility, and career centers, that can assist you with your academic or professional needs. Whether you need extra time to take your exams or support in choosing a major, there’s a resource center able to assist.
The college also hosts career fairs once or twice a semester where employers are invited to meet with students to discuss internship and job opportunities. In addition, for students interested in study abroad, CCNY offers programs in over 50 countries, including England, Spain, France, Brazil, and South Africa.
What is the Cost of CCNY?
Tuition at CCNY can be pretty affordable for in-state students at about $7,500 a year. For out-of-state students, tuition will cost about $15,000 per year. Regardless of whether you’re a local student or not, you can apply for financial aid to help lower the overall cost to attend. Of course, we know that other expenses beyond tuition factor into the overall cost of attendance, consequently students applying for financial aid can also receive assistance for costs associated with books, transportation, and other school related expenses.
Financial aid packages at CCNY can consist of a combination of federal and private funding in the form of grants and loans, depending on the student’s demonstrated financial need. Additionally, students can apply for work study positions on campus as part of their overall financial aid plan. All students should apply for financial aid regardless of whether or not they think they’re eligible using the FAFSA to be considered for any of the available forms of aid.
Looking for more information on the CUNY system? Check out this post for our ranked list of the CUNY colleges and what to know about each school!
