Choosing CUNY

Honor Roll

Here are just a few of the University's noteworthy accomplishments. We've chosen to focus on undergraduate programs, but CUNY's graduate schools can more than hold their own!

Between 1983 and 1992, CUNY graduates earned more doctorates than graduates of Columbia, New York University, the University of Chicago, and SUNY at Albany combined. (Source)
CUNY has been rated first in the nation in producing bachelor degree alumni who rise to top positions in business. (Source)
Brooklyn College's Freshman Year Program received the Hesburgh Award in 1998. The Hesburgh recognizes exceptional programs designed to enhance undergraduate teaching and learning.
LaGuardia Community College and Lehman College have each been designated by the Policy Center on the First Year of College as an "Institution of Excellence in the First College Year." The Policy Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine ranked Baruch College the nation's number one producer of minority business management, marketing, and related baccalaureates in 2006.

Each year, when it comes time to leave high school and select a college, thousands of former College Now students choose the City University of New York.

Because the CN-to-CUNY trend seems likely to persist, we decided to dedicate a section of the College Now website solely to CUNY: What sets it apart? Who gets in? What are its different components? Should you consider enrolling? Where can you get more information? And so on. And so forth.

What CUNY Is—and Isn't

Misconception:

CUNY is a college, located somewhere in uptown Manhattan.

Fact:

CUNY is the nation's largest urban public university system; it consists of many different colleges, with campuses throughout the five boroughs.

CUNY's constituent schools include undergraduate colleges (for those students starting college for the first time) and graduate and professional schools (for students who have already earned an undergraduate degree). Nearly 200,000 students are enrolled in its various degree programs.

Misconception:

CUNY, a public institution, isn't that highly regarded.

Fact:

The City University of New York, which was founded in 1847, has a long and illustrious history of educating generations of New Yorkers. Its nationally recognized academic programs can boast of award-winning faculty and alumni in every field from art to zoology. Experts in just about every area are drawn to CUNY because of its location—New York City!—and its diverse student body (145 countries currently represented!)

Want some quick CUNY facts? Visit CUNY on the Web.

Learn More: Know Yourself, Know CUNY

Tips for choosing YOUR college. Deciding where to go to college is seldom easy. There are lots of questions you have to ask of yourself and others. At CUNY, that situation is complicated somewhat by the fact that you're looking at a multi-college system rather than a single college. On the plus side, CUNY's breadth gives you a lot more options.

Undergraduate options at CUNY. In considering CUNY, you'll need to know some things about CUNY in general, like how its colleges are classified and what types of degrees are offered. You'll also have to research its individual colleges to figure out which one is best for you.