The City University of New York
New York City's public university system: 26 colleges across the five boroughs, one application for up to six of them.
- Students
- 247,000
- Tuition
- $18,600
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1847
- QS World Ranking
- #677
- 2027 edition
About CUNY
The City University of New York is the public university of New York City and the largest urban public university in the US. Its roots go back to the Free Academy, founded in 1847 as the nation's first free public institution of higher education (today the City College of New York); the separate municipal colleges were joined into one university by state law in 1961. CUNY now has 26 colleges across the five boroughs: 11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges and 8 graduate, honors and professional schools, serving about 247,000 degree-seeking students and awarding about 50,000 degrees a year.
QS ranks CUNY as one system, but students enrol at a specific college, each with its own campus, strengths and admission profile. The best-known senior colleges include Baruch College, Hunter College, the City College of New York in Harlem, Brooklyn College and Queens College, and specialist colleges such as John Jay College of Criminal Justice and New York City College of Technology. The Graduate Center is the main doctoral institution, and Macaulay Honors College runs a university-wide honors program on eight senior campuses: Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, John Jay, Lehman, Queens and Staten Island.
CUNY is built for access and mobility: CUNY says 60% of its students are the first in their family to go to college and 82% of freshmen come from New York City public high schools. It suits students who want a low-cost degree in the middle of New York City and are comfortable with a mostly commuter campus culture.
Eruditio populi liberi spes gentium
“The education of free people is the hope of mankind” — university motto
Why students choose CUNY
One CUNY Application covers up to six colleges, so you can apply to Baruch, Hunter, City College, Brooklyn and Queens at once with one fee.
Tuition is low: full-time New York State residents pay $3,465 a semester at the senior colleges, and CUNY says 67% of in-state undergraduates attend tuition-free.
Macaulay Honors College gives admitted students a tuition scholarship (for New York residents), a Cultural Passport and access to an Opportunities Fund, on one of eight senior campuses.
Selective direct-entry programs sit inside the system, including City College's Grove School of Engineering, Spitzer School of Architecture and BS/MD program at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, and Brooklyn College's BA/MD program.
Admissions
Fall 2024 first-year admission profile (CUNY Application Review page)
Selectivity
CUNY publishes no system-wide admit rate; each college makes its own decision. Average high school averages of general-admission first-years admitted for fall 2024: Baruch 92.9, Hunter 91.4, City College 90.1, Brooklyn 89.9, Queens 88.9, John Jay 88.9, Lehman 89.1, York 85.2, Staten Island 82.7, Macaulay Honors College and the CUNY School of Medicine 95.0; community colleges about 75-78. Averages are on a 100-point scale.
Typical entry requirements
| International secondary school record | Complete secondary school record, graduation diploma and any external examination certificates, sent officially and translated where needed; CUNY's processing center evaluates transcripts free of charge, or you can use an approved credential evaluation agency |
|---|---|
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 61 Required for temporary visa holders educated in a non-English environment. Minimums vary by college: Baruch requires TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53 or Duolingo 105; Brooklyn, City College, Hunter, Queens, Lehman, John Jay, City Tech and York require TOEFL iBT 61 and IELTS 6.0 (Duolingo 85, or 95 at Queens). Some community colleges do not require a test. |
Deadlines
- Macaulay Honors College Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 24 daysOctober 26, 2026
Binding; 6 PM ET. Application, fee, transcripts, essays, recommendations and commitment due. Decisions released December 18, 2026. ED admits may not defer.
- Macaulay Honors College Non-binding In 45 daysNovember 16, 2026
6 PM ET for application, transcripts and essays; letters of recommendation due November 30, 2026. Decisions released March 11, 2027; commitment due May 3, 2027.
- International applicants (all colleges) Non-binding In ~2 monthsDecember 1, 2026
For applicants requesting a student visa or with full or partial credentials from outside the US; supporting documents due December 15.
- Priority deadline, US-educated freshmen Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Application and supporting documents. Rolling decisions from January to July; general admission decisions start in mid-February. Colleges may accept later applications on a space-available basis.
CUNY's deadlines page gives annual dates without a year for general admission; they are applied here to fall 2027. Macaulay Honors College publishes its dates for the current cycle (application opened August 3, 2026). Special programs have their own deadlines: Brooklyn College BA/MD December 15, City College BS/MD December 30, and City College architecture and engineering February 1.
How to apply
CUNY Application (online; one application for up to six CUNY colleges); $65 freshman fee (waived for New York high school students who apply during the free application period, September 15 or October 15 to November 16, 2026); official high school transcript sent to CUNY; essay required by Hunter and Queens and recommended by Baruch; recommendations optional for general admission; separate Macaulay option with two essays and recommendations; international applicants add English test scores and credential evaluation.
What admissions looks for
- Overall high school academic average and grades in college-preparatory courses.
- Strong performance in specific subject areas and the level reached in each (for example trigonometry or calculus).
- College-level courses taken in high school and New York State Regents results, where available.
- For selective programs such as Macaulay, BS/MD and BA/MD, additional essays, recommendations and interviews as each program requires.
Tips for applying to CUNY
- 1 Use all six college choices on the CUNY Application and compare them with the published admitted-student averages, from Baruch (92.9) and Hunter (91.4) to less selective senior colleges.
- 2 If you are at a New York high school, apply between the free application period's start and November 16, 2026 to have the $65 fee waived automatically.
- 3 Write the essay even if only Baruch recommends it; Hunter and Queens require one, and it can be reused across choices.
- 4 Aim for Macaulay if you have a very strong record: its Early Decision deadline is October 26, 2026 and it offers a tuition scholarship to New York residents.
- 5 International applicants must apply by December 1, 2026, well before the February priority date for US-educated students.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
New York residents can combine federal Pell Grants with New York State aid such as TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship, and CUNY says 67% of in-state undergraduates attend tuition-free. SEEK and College Discovery provide support for students who meet income guidelines. Macaulay Honors College gives a four-year tuition scholarship to students who meet New York residency requirements. Out-of-state and international students pay non-resident rates.
- 67%
- In-state undergraduates attending tuition-free (CUNY)
- 75%
- CUNY students graduating with no debt (CUNY)
- $32,583 (housing $20,124, lunch $4,550, medical $2,335, personal $2,885, books $1,500, transport $1,190)
- 2026-27 nine-month non-tuition budget, living away from home
- $16,318
- 2026-27 nine-month non-tuition budget, living at home
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Macaulay Honors College
A university-wide honors college on eight senior campuses, with a tuition scholarship for New York residents, a Cultural Passport and an Opportunities Fund.
Business at Baruch College
Baruch has the highest admitted-student average of CUNY's general-admission colleges (92.9) and ranks No. 9 among Regional Universities North in U.S. News.
Engineering and architecture at City College
The Grove School of Engineering and the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture admit freshmen through the CUNY Application, with a February 1 deadline.
BS/MD and BA/MD programs
Direct-entry medical pathways at City College's Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education (deadline December 30) and Brooklyn College (deadline December 15).
Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College
A dedicated music school within a CUNY senior college, with its own two-step admission process.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
CUNY's specialist senior college for criminal justice, ranked No. 16 among Regional Universities North by U.S. News.
Research
- The Graduate Center is CUNY's principal doctorate-granting institution and is placed 401-500 in ARWU 2026.
- City College, the original Free Academy of 1847, is placed 501-600 in ARWU 2026.
- The Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, opened in 2016, centralises CUNY's public health programs.
Schools & faculties
- Baruch College
- Brooklyn College
- The City College of New York
- College of Staten Island
- Hunter College
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Lehman College
- Medgar Evers College
- New York City College of Technology
- Queens College
- York College
- The Graduate Center
College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry, by college: Baruch $75,971, City College $66,039, Hunter $63,163, Queens $62,763, Brooklyn $60,752. CUNY says 82% of its alumni stay in New York City.
Student life
CUNY is mostly a commuter university: most students live at home and travel to campus by subway or bus, and each college runs its own clubs, athletics and student government. Campuses range from Manhattan colleges such as Baruch and Hunter to City College's Gothic Shepard Hall in Harlem and the campuses of Brooklyn, Queens, Lehman and Staten Island. Macaulay students get a Cultural Passport for the city's cultural life. CUNY says 60% of its students are the first in their family to attend college, and campus life often fits around jobs and families.
- Each of the 26 colleges has its own student clubs and activities.
- Macaulay Honors College's Cultural Passport opens the city's cultural institutions to honors students.
- City College's Shepard Hall and Great Hall anchor one of the city's landmark campuses.
- 60% of students are the first in their family to go to college.
Housing. CUNY is largely a commuter system; each campus offers different housing options, so check the specific college.
Location
CUNY's colleges are spread across all five boroughs of New York City, so where you study shapes daily life: Baruch, Hunter and John Jay are in Manhattan, City College is in Harlem, Brooklyn College is in Brooklyn, Queens College is in Flushing, Lehman is in the Bronx and the College of Staten Island is on Staten Island. Students have the city's internships, museums and industries on their doorstep, and CUNY says 82% of alumni stay in New York City.
Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA)
Notable alumni
- CP Colin PowellUS Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (BS in geology, City College, 1958)
- JS Jonas SalkDeveloper of one of the first successful polio vaccines (City College)
- AG Andrew GroveIntel co-founder and CEO (BS in chemical engineering, City College, 1960)
- GB Gertrude B. ElionNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1988 (BA in chemistry, Hunter College, 1937)
- JS Jerry SeinfeldComedian and co-creator of Seinfeld (BA, Queens College, 1976)
- PS Paul SimonSinger-songwriter of Simon and Garfunkel (BA in English, Queens College, 1963)
- BS Bernie SandersUS senator from Vermont; studied at Brooklyn College for a year before transferring (non-degree)
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply to CUNY?
Use the online CUNY Application, which lets first-year applicants choose up to six CUNY colleges for one $65 fee. Send your official high school transcript to CUNY once; each college you select reviews it.
What GPA do you need for Baruch, Hunter or City College?
CUNY publishes the average high school average of admitted general-admission students: for fall 2024 it was 92.9 at Baruch, 91.4 at Hunter and 90.1 at City College, and 95.0 at Macaulay Honors College.
Does CUNY require the SAT or ACT?
No. CUNY is test-optional for first-year applicants, and not submitting scores cannot be used to deny admission. Decisions rest mainly on your high school grades and course rigor.
How much is CUNY tuition?
At the senior colleges, full-time New York State residents pay $3,465 a semester ($6,930 a year); out-of-state and international students pay $620 per credit, about $18,600 for 30 credits. College fees are extra.
When is the CUNY deadline for international students?
International applicants for fall admission must apply by December 1, with supporting documents due December 15. US-educated freshmen have a priority deadline of February 1.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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