Boost Driven by Six Percent Increase in Enrollment at CUNY Community Colleges, Four Percent Jump in New Graduate Students

Governor Kathy Hochul on Nov 20th, announced that total enrollment at the City University of New York increased for the second consecutive year, including increases at the University's community colleges, and with new graduate students. The results follow increased attention to enrolling new CUNY students, including a state-funded advertising campaign and offering free application options for high school seniors in alignment with College Application Month.

“Because of CUNY, millions of young people have been able to enroll in high-quality and affordable higher education here in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “From removing financial barriers to expanding our state’s tuition assistance program, we are continuing our efforts to boost enrollment and ensure even more students can pursue their degree at one of our world class institutions.”

Enrollment for the Fall 2024 semester grew by 3 percent, totaling almost 15,000 students over the past two years. Critically, this year’s jump was driven by a 6 percent increase at CUNY’s community colleges, which were hit hardest by pandemic-induced declines, and a 4 percent growth in new graduate student enrollment – the first in four years.

As part of New York State College Application Month, Governor Hochul announced that CUNY waived application fees across all 25 campuses for high school seniors attending New York City public schools from October 21 to November 15 and from November 4 to November 15 for all New York State residents applying as a college freshman. CUNY further guarantees admission to all seven of its community colleges for all NYC Public Schools graduates. Additionally, New York State's record investments in higher education ensures that over 67 percent of CUNY students attend college for free, and nearly 80 percent graduate debt free.

CUNY colleges continue to be well-lauded in national rankings, including topping The Wall Street Journal’s list of Best Value Colleges, where Baruch College ranked first and Hunter College (2), City College (4), Brooklyn College (5) and Queens College (8) also made the top 10. Forbes also listed nine CUNY colleges on its list of 25 Colleges With the Highest Payoff, an unranked listing that included Baruch, Hunter College, City College, Brooklyn College, Queens College, York College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “The increase in student enrollment demonstrates that the past year, often eventful and challenging, has also been a time of progress. These achievements, from enrollment to career engagement and research, demonstrate that when we come together, there is no limit to our ability to expand opportunity, improve lives and make our city a better place. And while there is still work to do, I’ve never been more confident in CUNY and our ability to deliver?on our core mission of providing a first-rate education to every New Yorker, regardless of means or background.”

The announcement also follows the recent establishment of the CUNY School of Medicine as an independent institution of the University, a transformation which will enable the 50-year-old school to advance its dual mandate to produce diverse medical practitioners and provide quality health services to underserved communities across New York City.

About The City University of New York
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 233,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius” grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. Learn more about CUNY.