Why Private Donations?

If City College is a public institution, why does it need private donations?

As state and city funding continues at static or decreased level, philanthropy remains critical. Whereas private institutions rely on tuition increases to bridge the gap, our student tuition at a public school is mandated by New York state and is relatively uniform across all City University of New York campuses of varying scale and scope. At approximately $6,600 a year, our tuition is below the national average of $32,405 at a private, four-year college or university. At City College, the premier STEM campus of the CUNY system, our current tuition covers only 55% of the actual cost of educating a student. The rest comes from research grants, federal support, and most importantly, you, the private donor.