Queens College

What Queens College does

Queens College, founded in 1937, is a public senior college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, operating an 80-acre campus of 36 buildings in Flushing, Queens, New York. The institution delivers undergraduate education across 78 majors, more than 100 master's degree programs, and 40+ accelerated master's pathways organized into five academic schools (Arts & Humanities, Math & Natural Science, Education, Social Science, and Business), with supporting infrastructure that includes the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library (840,000+ volumes, 1M+ ebooks, 59,000+ ejournals), Special Collections & Archives (5,000+ linear feet), and the QC Makerspace. Student-facing services include NCAA Division II athletics (QC Knights), career services, the Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC), and the K-12 College Now pipeline.

The college's revenue mechanics combine state-subsidized tuition set by CUNY, alumni donations and monthly sustainer programs channeled through the Queens College Foundation (via Blackbaud NetCommunity), transaction-fee venue rentals and events, tech incubator tenant fees, and grant funding (e.g., $1.175M from NYS for the CUNY Asian American/Asian Research Institute, $1M+ for K-12 science teacher training). Technology is delivered through CUNY-wide enterprise systems — Brightspace LMS for coursework, CUNYfirst (PeopleSoft) for student information, and CUNYBuy for procurement — with integrations to JSTOR for digital archives and Microsoft 365 for communications.

Distribution is primarily on-campus instruction supplemented by online programs (including the Global Student Success Program for international students), a regional K-12 dual-enrollment channel, venue rental operations accommodating 10–10,000 attendees, and alumni engagement networks supported by industry-specific LinkedIn groups and the ASK mentorship program. The college is governed by the CUNY Board of Trustees and led by President Frank H. Wu, whose recent retirement announcement represents the most significant current leadership transition.

Name

Queens College

Legal name

Queens College of the City University of New York

Website

https://qc.cuny.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Queens College is a public senior college within the CUNY system, founded in 1937 in Flushing, Queens, offering 78 undergraduate majors, 100+ master's programs, and 40+ accelerated master's pathways to a diverse undergraduate and graduate student body in New York City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Queens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: As a public CUNY institution, Queens College charges tuition and fees to undergraduate and graduate students. Tuition rates are set by CUNY and are significantly subsidized by New York State.
2. Donations and Alumni Giving: The college generates revenue through the Queens College Foundation via alumni donations, monthly sustainer programs, commemorative gifts, scholarship support, planned giving, and naming opportunities.
3. Venue Rentals and Event Services: The Office of Venue Rentals & Events generates revenue by renting campus facilities including performance venues, classrooms, athletic facilities, outdoor venues, and overnight accommodations at The Summit Apartments to external organizations.
4. Tech Incubator: The Tech Incubator at Queens College supports early-stage tech ventures through co-working space, potentially generating revenue through tenant fees and associated services.
5. Sales/Event Tables: Revenue from sales and event tabling spaces in the Student Union's SA Diner and Dining Hall's Armstrong Alley, with 50% discounts for current QC students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Queens College is a public senior college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system that delivers undergraduate degrees across 78 majors, over 100 master's degree programs, and 40+ accelerated master's programs spanning five academic schools (Arts & Humanities, Math & Natural Science, Education, Social Science, and Business). It also operates supporting educational infrastructure including the Tech Incubator, Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library, Special Collections & Archives, QC Makerspace, and the Queens Memory Project, alongside campus venue rentals and NCAA Division II athletics.

Product overview

Queens College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, is a public college offering a comprehensive range of educational programs. The institution operates as a unified academic institution with its primary offerings being undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five academic schools. Supporting infrastructure includes the Tech Incubator for startup businesses, the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library system with Special Collections & Archives, and the QC Makerspace for maker education. Additional services include campus venue rentals, athletics (QC Knights NCAA Division II), the Queens Memory community history project, and a Small Business Development Center. The college utilizes standard university systems including Brightspace for learning management, CUNYfirst for student information, and CUNYBuy for procurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Academic Programs Bachelor's degree programs in 78 majors across five academic schools, designed for traditional undergraduate students seeking a liberal arts and sciences education. Tuition is significantly subsidized by New York State through CUNY.
• Graduate Academic Programs Over 100 master's degree programs and 40+ accelerated master's options, including online programs, for students pursuing advanced credentials and professional development.
• Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC) A technology business incubator backed by Queens College and the New York City Council that helps early-stage ventures build technology companies through co-working space, mentorship, and access to campus resources.
• Venue Rentals and Events Rental of campus facilities including performance venues (Kupferberg Center), classrooms, athletic facilities, outdoor spaces, reception halls, and The Summit Apartments for events of 10 to 10,000 attendees.
• Queens College Athletics (QC Knights) NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics program featuring the QC Knights teams, with associated recreational fitness facilities available to students.
• Friends of the Library Membership Annual subscription membership to the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library that grants borrowing privileges and supports library operations. Includes Life membership at $500 and Patron membership at $50.
• College Now (K-12 Pipeline Program) Dual enrollment program providing high school students with college credit courses, Summer Science programs, and Pre-College offerings, serving as a K-12 pipeline to Queens College.
• Small Business Development Center Provides consulting, training, and resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Queens community.

Quantifiable outcome

• #7 in U.S. for Social Mobility (U.S. News & World Report)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CUNY (City University of New York)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueens College is a senior college within the CUNY system. CUNY provides governance, funding, policy framework, enterprise systems (CUNYfirst, Brightspace, CUNYBuy), and shared services across 25 colleges. The partnership enables standardized systems, collective bargaining, and state funding.
• JSTOR (Open Community Collections Initiative)majorTechnology or IntegrationQueens College Special Collections and Archives shares digitized materials through JSTOR's Open Community Collections platform. Digital collections are constantly evolving to encompass new collections and items including yearbooks from 1941-2019.
• Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMETRO provided funding to digitize 295 public domain items from the James J. Periconi Collection of Italian-language American Imprints for online access.
• Queens Public LibrarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueens Memory is an ongoing collaborative program between Queens College and Queens Public Library designed to collect stories, images, and other evidence of life in the borough of Queens. The partnership documents the history of Queens through oral history interviews, scanning days, and homecoming activities.
• Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Collections and Archives works closely with the GSLIS to provide meaningful hands-on experience for the next generation of archivists. The program offers fellowships, internships, and career preparation for library science students.
• Kupferberg Center for the ArtsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKupferberg Center provides world-class arts opportunities to Queens residents. QC venues include Colden Auditorium and other performance spaces available for external events.
• Godwin-Ternbach MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum providing arts programming and exhibitions for the campus and community.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Baruch College (CUNY): CUNY senior college focused on business and liberal arts, attracting similar commuter student demographics from across the five boroughs of NYC.
• Brooklyn College (CUNY): CUNY senior college in Brooklyn with similar comprehensive liberal arts and sciences curriculum, comparable public pricing, and overlapping recruitment geography in the NYC boroughs.
• City College of New York (CUNY): Founding CUNY senior college in Harlem with a comparable mix of undergraduate majors, graduate programs, and a strong emphasis on serving first-generation and low-income students.
• College of Staten Island (CUNY): CUNY senior college offering comprehensive liberal arts programs at public tuition rates, competing for the same pool of NYC-area transfer and undergraduate students.
• York College (CUNY): CUNY senior college also located in Queens, Jamaica, offering comparable four-year undergraduate and select graduate programs to a similar demographic base.
• Hunter College (CUNY): Sister CUNY senior college in Manhattan offering comparable undergraduate and graduate programs across liberal arts and sciences, competing for the same NYC tuition-sensitive student pool.
• Lehman College (CUNY): CUNY senior college in the Bronx with a similar public, comprehensive liberal arts and sciences mission serving diverse, working-class NYC populations.

Regional players

• Columbia University School of General Studies: Columbia's undergraduate division for non-traditional and continuing students in NYC, overlapping with QC's adult learner, transfer, and continuing education segments, but at a much higher price point.

Broad incumbents

• CUNY Graduate Center: CUNY's primary graduate and doctoral institution in Manhattan, providing comparable graduate-level programs and competing for the same graduate student pool within the CUNY system.
• Stony Brook University (SUNY): Public SUNY flagship offering four-year and graduate programs across liberal arts and sciences at comparable tuition rates, attracting overlapping New York state resident applicants.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QC_News
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/queenscollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/QueensCollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queens-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/queenscollegeofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@queenscollegecuny?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Queens College