Admit rate has ranged 24%–39% over the last 2 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The CUNY Graduate School and University Center is the intellectual powerhouse of the City University of New York system, offering rigorous doctoral and master's programs in the heart of Manhattan. With acceptance rates ranging from 9% to 69% depending on the program, it attracts serious scholars who benefit from Ivy League-caliber faculty and unparalleled access to New York City's cultural resources. This is where ambitious students go to dive deep into humanities, sciences, and social sciences without Ivy League price tags.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
3,254
In-state tuition
$7,235
Out-of-state tuition
$15,185
Location
New York, NY
Financial Aid
Fellowships and teaching/research assistantships available
Degrees Offered
32 doctoral, 18 master's programs
Special Feature
30+ interdisciplinary research centers
Institution Type
Public graduate university
Notable Programs
Psychology, Physics, English, Biology, Chemistry
Acceptance Rate Range
9%-69% (varies by program)
Median Earnings (6 years)
$69,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$65,991
Median debt at graduation
$12,584
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
47%
Pell (lower-income) share
71%
First-generation share
44%
Endowment / student
$33,297
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$88,786
Business/Commerce, General$52,107
Health and Medical Administrative Services$48,432
Communication and Media Studies$47,260
Psychology, General$31,314
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
90
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
54.4"
Annual snow
18.3"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at CUNY Graduate School and University Center?
CUNY Graduate School and University Center's acceptance rate is approximately 68% (New York, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How many undergraduates attend CUNY Graduate School and University Center?
CUNY Graduate School and University Center enrolls approximately 3,254 undergraduate students.
Where is CUNY Graduate School and University Center located?
CUNY Graduate School and University Center is located in New York, NY.
Admissions
Admissions at CUNY Graduate Center are a study in contradictions - reported Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. range wildly from 9% to 69%, likely reflecting different programs' selectivity. Unlike undergraduate admissions, SAT/ACT scores are neither required nor recommended, putting the focus squarely on academic preparation and research potential. The university participates in deferred admission programs, allowing accepted students to postpone enrollment for up to a year. With no first-year freshman admissions (it's exclusively graduate-level), the school evaluates applicants based on their undergraduate performance and scholarly promise rather than standardized test scores.
The Graduate Center is CUNY's crown jewel for advanced scholarship, offering:
32 doctoral programs
18 master's programs
Over 30 research centers and institutes
Notable strengths include psychology (32 graduates), physics (22), biology (21), English (20), and chemistry (18). The faculty roster reads like an Ivy League who's who - most hold PhDs from top-tier institutions. What makes the academics truly distinctive is the interdisciplinary approach; students regularly collaborate across traditional department lines. The school describes its pedagogy as combining 'innovative research, rigorous scholarship, and collaborative learning' with particular emphasis on preparing students for both academic careers and public engagement.
Don't expect rah-rah school spirit - this is a commuter campus for serious scholars. That said, students forge tight-knit communities through:
Campus events that leverage NYC's cultural resources
Shared research projects across disciplines
Student organizations focused on academic and professional development
The Instagram presence (@thegraduatecenter) showcases a vibrant intellectual community that takes full advantage of its Midtown Manhattan location. While there are no dorms or traditional campus life amenities, students describe an intense collaborative atmosphere where ideas matter more than amenities.
Median earnings: $69k at 6 years post-graduation, rising to $66k at 10 years
CUNY graduates working in NYS earned a combined $57 billion annually ($67k average) in 2019
7-year and 10-year graduation rates are tracked closely, with university leadership targeting 70% as an aspirational benchmark
While the 45.3% employment rate within three years seems low at first glance, this reflects the academic focus - many graduates pursue postdocs or additional research positions before entering the job market. The earnings premium over national averages (57% higher) demonstrates the value of the degree in the competitive NYC job market.
As part of the CUNY system, the Graduate Center remains relatively affordable for a Manhattan-based institution:
The university provides a detailed financial aid estimator tool
Fellowships and financial aid packages are available through multiple sources
Unlike undergraduate aid, graduate funding often ties directly to research or teaching assignments
While the average reported Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. is listed as $0 for students receiving aid, this likely reflects full funding packages for doctoral students rather than zero actual cost. The financial aid office helps students navigate a complex landscape of grants, scholarships, and work-study opportunities specific to graduate education.
The CUNY Graduate Center punches far above its weight class by delivering Ivy-caliber scholarship at public university prices. Three factors make it unique: 1. Location as laboratory: NYC isn't just where the school is - it's integral to the research, with students studying everything from urban sociology to particle physics using the city as their lab 2. Faculty firepower: Professors hail from top institutions worldwide, creating an intellectual environment that rivals private elites 3. Interdisciplinary ethos: With 30+ research centers crossing traditional academic boundaries, this is where disciplines collide productively
For serious scholars who want rigorous training without ivory tower isolation, the Graduate Center offers perhaps the best value in advanced education nationwide.
CUNY Graduate School and University Center logo · sourceCampus and Location | CUNY Graduate Center · sourceCampus and Location | CUNY Graduate Center · sourceCUNY Graduate Center - Wikipedia · source
