CUNY Graduate School and University Center
About
The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Formed in 1961 as Division of Graduate Studies at City University of New York, it was renamed to Graduate School and University Center in 1969. Serving as the principal doctorate-granting institution of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, CUNY Graduate Center is classified as "R1: Doctoral University–Very High Spending and Doctorate Production".
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 109 Title IV programs, 22 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 87 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing22 · 20.2%
- No Data87 · 79.8%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 6
Action history · 6
- Apr 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Apr 2025Grant Substantive Change: DegreeMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Apr 2023Initial AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Mar 2021Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Oct 2019Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,906 students received $8.4M in Pell grants, alongside $19.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 624 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at CUNY
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- Public property47
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
CUNY vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CUNY selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCUNY Graduate School and University Center | — | — | 9,536 | — | R1 Research |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 68% | 89.9% | 79,818 | $13,670 | R1 Research |
Claremont Graduate University | — | — | 1,771 | — | R2 Research |
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 72% | 47.5% | 20,081 | $2,978 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
CUNY Brooklyn College | 54% | 58.4% | 14,390 | $2,943 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
CUNY City College | 57% | 60.0% | 15,544 | $3,486 | R2 Research |
CUNY Hunter College | 57% | 53.8% | 22,538 | $2,446 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
CUNY Lehman College | 51% | 56.6% | 13,324 | $3,482 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
CUNY Queens College | 53% | 64.3% | 15,965 | $3,830 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 94% | 14.1% | 53,363 | $13,289 | R1 Research |
Georgia State University | 53% | 55.4% | 34,944 | $15,931 | R1 Research |
Idaho State University | 35% | — | 13,061 | $17,324 | R2 Research |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $19,813 | R1 Research |
North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 64% | 95.0% | 11,952 | $16,334 | R1 Research |
Northcentral University | — | — | 9,489 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
The University of Texas at Austin | 89% | 26.6% | 53,864 | $19,678 | R1 Research |
University at Albany | 61% | 69.1% | 17,560 | $18,486 | R1 Research |
University of Arkansas | 71% | 74.3% | 33,610 | $17,525 | R1 Research |
University of California-Riverside | 76% | 76.4% | 26,384 | $13,707 | R1 Research |
University of California-Santa Barbara | 83% | 33.0% | 26,133 | $13,825 | R1 Research |
University of Central Florida | 78% | 40.1% | 69,713 | $10,650 | R1 Research |
University of Colorado Boulder | 74% | 78.1% | 38,799 | $21,480 | R1 Research |
University of Delaware | 83% | 70.6% | 24,412 | $16,931 | R1 Research |
University of Houston | 65% | 73.9% | 47,980 | $13,853 | R1 Research |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 83% | 59.7% | 31,726 | $23,691 | R1 Research |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 67% | 87.5% | 24,393 | $17,424 | R1 Research |
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 75% | 76.6% | 30,851 | $17,413 | R1 Research |
University of Oregon | 72% | 88.3% | 24,404 | $21,782 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 71% | 62.2% | 24,399 | $15,931 |
CUNY Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
- Tammie CummingAssociate Provost, Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation
- John ChoonooDirector, Office of Institutional Research
- Hsueh LeungAssociate Director, Office of Institutional Research
- Trang NguyenData Scientist, Office of Institutional Research
Common Data Set (5)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardir.baruch.cuny.edu
- Data definitionData FAQThis page contains frequently asked questions and data definitions related to the data dashboards provided by the CUNY Graduate School and University Center’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE). It details the structured data available, including categories such as internal institutional data, external data, survey data, and reports. Additionally, it explains how the data can be accessed, the update frequency of the dashboards, and the definitions of key variables used in the dashboards.gc.cuny.edu
- Data dictionaryData FAQ2026The CUNY Graduate School and University Center provides detailed data related to internal institutional metrics such as applicant demographics, enrollment statistics, graduation and attrition rates, and alumni employment. The data is primarily frozen as of the census date each semester, allowing for historical trend analyses. Additional information on national benchmarks and survey data is available, and dashboards are updated every Fall Semester. Data definitions and methodologies are accessible within each dashboard. Requests for tailored data from members of the institution require formal approval.gc.cuny.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryGlossary - Institutional EffectivenessThis glossary from CUNY Graduate School and University Center's Institutional Effectiveness section provides definitions of key terms and concepts related to the systematic assessment and enhancement of academic and operational goals. It includes explanations of various assessment strategies, learning outcomes, and educational objectives, presenting a comprehensive overview of processes aimed at improving student performance and educational practices. The glossary serves as a resource to facilitate evidence-based decision-making in education.qc.cuny.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan 2025-20302026CUNY Graduate School and University Center's new Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 outlines key goals within four primary themes: Institutional Identity, Student Success, Operational Quality, and Institutional Impact. This comprehensive plan aims to enhance the institution's operations and offerings through collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, and alumni, focusing on areas such as scholarship, infrastructure, and external partnerships. The plan emphasizes actionable goals and measurable outcomes to ensure alignment with the institution's mission and enhance its impact beyond the university community.gc.cuny.edu
Frequently asked questions about CUNY Graduate School and University Center
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CUNY.
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