“New York's flagship public college — a powerhouse of social mobility on a Gothic Harlem campus, with one of the world's most international student bodies.”
The City College of New York (CCNY), founded in 1847 as the Free Academy of the City of New York, is the original and flagship campus of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Set on a striking 35-acre Collegiate Gothic campus in Harlem with sweeping views of the Hudson River, CCNY has spent more than 175 years as one of America's most consequential engines of social mobility — producing 10 Nobel laureates, the most of any U.S. public institution, alongside Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Intel co-founder Andrew Grove, and many others who arrived as the children of immigrants. The college enrolls roughly 15,000 students across eight schools and divisions, anchored by the Grove School of Engineering (the only public engineering school in NYC), the Spitzer School of Architecture, the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education / CUNY School of Medicine (which offers a unique seven-year BS/MD pathway), the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and a strong College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Biomedical Sciences are among the standout programs. For international students, CCNY is one of the most extraordinary value propositions in U.S. higher education: the international undergraduate tuition runs roughly $19,000/year — a fraction of comparable private NYC institutions — while delivering an uncompromising research-university experience in the heart of Manhattan. Roughly 870 international students from 170+ countries study here (largest origin groups: China, South Korea, India), supported by the Office of International Student & Scholar Services. CCNY pairs naturally with the energy and internship density of New York City, making it a top-value choice for students who want a rigorous STEM or pre-medical education on a Manhattan campus without the $80K coastal-private price tag.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Top Performers on Social Mobility
US News 2026
Fall Regular Admission
Standard CUNY freshman deadline; Sophie Davis BS/MD has earlier deadline.
Spring Admission
For January start.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$7,340
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$19,010
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $41,846
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
