Colleges in NYC: All 33 Schools

People from around the world move to NYC to pursue their dreams. The Big Apple also attracts students who want a world-class education in a city teeming with culture, entertainment, and opportunities.

New York City colleges include Ivy League schools and top research institutions dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders. From NYU to a CUNY college, NYC likely has something for anyone.

We’ve featured some of the most popular and prestigious NYC colleges for your consideration. You can also review the fastest-growing jobs and cost of living information for the country’s largest city.

These five NYC colleges are some of the most popular in the city and the world. The famous city and these prestigious schools draw global attention.

The following school data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and is updated for 2022.

Here is a complete list of all four-year nonprofit universities in New York City. Use the table below to compare data on student population, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.

All data comes from NCES. Schools that enroll fewer than 500 undergrads were not included in this table.

NYC’s 10 fastest-growing careers, according to the New York Department of Labor, are in the entertainment and service industries.

Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers take the top spot with a 135.8% projected growth rate for 2020-2030. Other top careers include cooks, museum technicians and conservators, and agents and business managers.

All of these jobs provide the staff needed to run NYC’s lively entertainment scene. Students can get one of these jobs to help pay for their education while attending one of the 33 colleges in NYC.

According to Redfin, NYC (Manhattan) will cost you 127% more in living expenses than the national average. For starters, NYC’s notoriously high rent will cost 384% more than the national average, while groceries will cost 29% more.

Students can help reduce their cost of living by getting roommates to split the rent and taking advantage of student discounts. Colleges also typically provide subsidized services such as healthcare and transportation, which could help you reduce the cost of pursuing a degree in NYC.

There are 33 nonprofit four-year universities in New York City. This diverse list includes large research institutions, mid-sized colleges, and schools for specialized skills such as fashion design and the performing arts.

Columbia University is considered the top college in NYC. The Ivy League institution enrolls undergraduate and graduate students in a comprehensive catalog of programs. Students receive instruction from distinguished faculty and have access to the vast resources this research institution has at its disposal.

Columbia is NYC’s only Ivy League college. The league consists of eight prestigious institutions located in the Northeast, each with a storied history, an impressive list of alumni, and highly selective admissions. Cornell, located in Ithaca, is the only other Ivy League college in New York State.

Hunter College is the hardest CUNY school to get into, with a 48% acceptance rate, according to NCES data. Of the 33,944 applicants to Hunter, 22,970 students received acceptance letters.

Getting into Hunter College ensures you pay the cheapest net cost of all the schools in the city. The school’s net cost of $4,848 is the average annual cost of attendance minus gift aid such as grants and scholarships. Hunter is much cheaper than other schools in the CUNY system and a drop in the bucket compared to schools such as Columbia and Fordham.