The City College of New York

What The City College of New York does

The City College of New York (CCNY) is a public senior college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, founded in 1847 as The Free Academy of the City of New York. It is the oldest constituent of CUNY and one of the first free public institutions of higher education in the United States, headquartered on a 37-acre main campus in Harlem (160 Convent Avenue) with a secondary downtown campus at 25 Broadway in the Cunard Building housing the Center for Worker Education. The college serves over 16,500 undergraduate and graduate students across eight professional schools and divisions — Spitzer School of Architecture, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, School of Education, Grove School of Engineering, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, Division of Humanities and the Arts, Division of Science, and the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies — plus Continuing & Professional Studies. Students represent more than 150 nationalities, 95.6% of full-time faculty hold terminal degrees, and the college leads CUNY in funded research with 300+ undergraduates working alongside senior researchers on funded projects.

CCNY's core product is its academic portfolio of 115+ undergraduate majors and 50+ master's and doctoral programs in engineering, laboratory sciences, and psychology, delivered through the eight schools/divisions. The college's underlying technology base consists of research laboratories and centers across science, engineering, and humanities; notable proprietary or specialized research includes Alzheimer's disease work on amyloid precursor protein (APP) using the C. elegans model system led by Dr. Christine Li, and water governance/policy research translated into global diplomacy through UNU-INWEH led by Kaveh Madani. The institution does not offer a public API, mobile app, or commercial software product; it is a service-based academic operation rather than a technology vendor.

CCNY's revenue is generated from four streams: tuition and fees from enrolled students at public CUNY pricing, state and city government appropriations routed through the CUNY system, external research grants from agencies such as NSF, NASA, and NIH as well as private foundations (including a $250,000 Alzheimer's Foundation of America grant and $15M from LifeSci NYC), and private donations/philanthropy raised through the Foundation for City College (covering annual funds, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations). The Foundation awards more than $6 million annually in scholarships, stipends, and fellowships. Customers are prospective and current students recruited through CUNY's centralized admissions portal, campus tours, virtual tours, and recruitment events, with alumni and donors as a secondary segment served through the Foundation for City College.

Name

The City College of New York

Legal name

The City College of New York

Website

https://ccny.cuny.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1847

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The City College of New York is a public senior college within the CUNY system, serving 16,500+ undergraduate and graduate students across eight schools and divisions from campuses in Harlem and downtown Manhattan. It delivers 115+ academic programs, leads CUNY in funded research, and operates on tuition, state appropriations, research grants, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban/Metropolitan Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Graduate programs
• Public university
• Research universities

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees from enrolled students, with public university pricing structure.
2. Private Donations and Philanthropy: The Foundation for City College raises private gifts through annual funds, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations to support scholarships, professorships, and programs.
3. Research Grants and Sponsored Programs: External funding from government agencies (NSF, NASA, NIH), foundations, and organizations to support faculty research activities.
4. Government Funding: CUNY system funding from New York State and City government allocations for public higher education operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The City College of New York (CCNY) is a public institution of higher education providing undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing education programs across eight schools and divisions including architecture, engineering, education, biomedical sciences, humanities, science, civic leadership, and interdisciplinary studies. The college delivers more than 115 majors and programs to over 16,500 students and conducts externally funded research in areas such as Alzheimer's disease, water governance, and physics, supported by a 37-acre Harlem campus and a downtown Wall Street center.

Product overview

The City College of New York is a public educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs through eight schools and divisions. The institution provides undergraduate and graduate education across architecture (Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture), engineering (The Grove School of Engineering), education (School of Education), biomedical education (Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education), humanities and arts (Division of Humanities and the Arts), sciences (Division of Science), interdisciplinary studies (Center for Worker Education), and civic leadership (Colin Powell School). The college also offers continuing education and professional studies programs, and recently launched a new Digital Game Development degree program. CCNY serves over 16,500 students and operates graduate programs including 50 master's programs and doctoral programs in engineering, laboratory sciences, and psychology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture Flagship public architecture school in NYC offering degree programs in architecture and landscape architecture with emphasis on the urban environment as a generator of design ideas, serving students pursuing careers in architecture.
• Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership School offering undergraduate and graduate programs in social sciences, economics, business, and public administration with a focus on civic and global leadership, for students pursuing careers in policy, public service, and social sciences.
• School of Education Teacher preparation and education programs ranked nationally for social mobility, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in various education specializations, serving students pursuing teaching and education leadership careers.
• The Grove School of Engineering Engineering school offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across multiple engineering disciplines including biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering, for students pursuing engineering careers.
• Division of Humanities and the Arts Division offering undergraduate and graduate programs in humanities disciplines including languages, literature, philosophy, music, and visual arts, for students pursuing careers in humanities and the arts.
• Division of Science Division offering undergraduate and graduate programs in natural sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, for students pursuing careers in the sciences.
• Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education School offering accelerated medical education programs combining undergraduate and medical school training for careers in medicine, serving students pursuing medical degrees.
• Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at Center for Worker Education (CWE) Downtown Manhattan campus offering interdisciplinary programs with a focus on worker education and professional development, serving working adults and non-traditional students.
• Bachelor of Science in Digital Game Development New degree program focusing on game design, programming, and digital art, providing students with access to industry-leading tools and opportunities for industry engagement, developed in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Urban Arts, and Harlem Gallery of Science.
• Continuing & Professional Studies Continuing education and professional development programs for adult learners and working professionals, serving students seeking lifelong learning and career advancement.
• Graduate Studies

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can move up two or more income quintiles - #1 mobility index among 369 selective public colleges
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered significant.

• U.S. Department of StatesignificantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Former Ambassador Marc Ostfield, who served as chief diplomatic representative to Paraguay (2022-2025), appointed as Colin Powell School Dean. During ambassadorship, oversaw bilateral relations, 230-person staff, and $270 million U.S. embassy compound opening.
• Alzheimer's Foundation of AmericasignificantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2022Awarded $250,000 grant to CCNY for Alzheimer's disease research focusing on disrupting amyloid precursor protein. Project aims to identify function of APP in brain health and develop new medications using C. elegans model system under Dr. Christine Li's leadership.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hunter College (CUNY): Fellow CUNY senior college in Manhattan with a similar student demographic, tuition structure, and breadth of undergraduate/graduate programs. Most direct comparable given shared CUNY governance, NYC urban mission, and public-affordability positioning.
• Brooklyn College (CUNY): Another CUNY senior college serving a comparable urban, diverse, commuter-student population with strong liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Direct competitor for the same in-state applicant pool within the CUNY system.
• Queens College (CUNY): CUNY senior college with comparable size, public-affordability mission, and breadth of academic divisions. Competes directly with CCNY for NYC-area applicants and shares similar CUNY-system funding dynamics.
• Lehman College (CUNY): CUNY senior college in the Bronx serving a similar mission-driven, diverse urban student population with comparable tuition and program mix. Direct peer for social-mobility outcome comparisons within CUNY.
• Baruch College (CUNY): CUNY senior college in Manhattan focused on business, public affairs, and liberal arts with strong career outcomes — a direct applicant-pool competitor within CUNY, especially for the Colin Powell School's economics and public administration programs.
• Rutgers University–Newark: Urban public research university in Newark, NJ with a comparable diverse, commuter-heavy student body and similar mission of social mobility. Direct comparable for urban public-research positioning and federal/state funding dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Stony Brook University (SUNY): SUNY flagship public research university with substantially larger research output and graduate programs. Comparable as a New York State public research institution, though CCNY operates at smaller scale and a more urban, teaching-focused mission.
• University at Buffalo (SUNY): SUNY flagship public research university. Comparable as a New York State public research institution competing for state appropriations, out-of-state students, and federal research funding — though located outside NYC.
• New York University (NYU): Major private NYC research university with overlapping academic divisions, urban mission, and downtown/Manhattan footprint. Comparable for graduate-program competition and faculty recruiting in NYC, though operating under a very different funding model.

Others

• CUNY Graduate Center: The CUNY system's doctoral-granting and graduate-research hub, sharing faculty, students, and governance with CCNY. Relevant as an ecosystem peer for graduate-program strategy and shared CUNY-system resource competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/citycollegeny
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/citycollegeofny
• Facebookfacebook.com/170858093839
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/313935
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccnycitycollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The City College of New York