I live about 4 hours away from NYC in pennsylvania. I’m looking for a more affordable college to transfer to in NYC. I want to live as close to the city as possible. I got into a couple of CUNY schools, and since I’m not from NY, the tuition is still pretty expensive. So far I’m interested in Mercy College and St. John’s
Have you run the online net price calculators on any schools that interest you?
If Mercy and St. John’s aren’t showing enough financial aid, try running the NPCs on Fordham, Manhattan College, or Hofstra. If you don’t qualify for FA, the CUNYs may be your most affordable options. Or stay in PA.
About 40 minutes from midtown by train you’ll find:
Hofstra (pretty expensive I think.), Adelphi, Molloy, SUNY Old Westbury.
A bit futher out, say another 15 minutes, is Farmingdale State.
If you want to be IN NYC, those CUNY schools may be your best bet, even from out of state. But not all have dorms, so do your homework. The price of living in the city is pretty high.
I would not try to force things so you can go to a college in/near NYC. Instead focus on getting the best possible affordable education and then find a job in NYC after graduation.
In order to help you more efficiently, we’d need these answers…
Are you currently enrolled in college? Where? What year are you and what GPA do you have? What was your High school GPA and test scores? You say ‘cheaper’ - cheaper than what amount? What’s your budget?
If you are a PA resident, then East Stroudsburg University should be about as affordable as it gets. And since it is at the far eastern end of the state, it is close enough that people commute from there to NYC. Martz has numerous daily buses from Stroudsburg to Port Authority, Downtown, and Midtown. Travel times vary, depending on destination and time of day, but are usually around 75 to 90 minutes.
Keep in mind while you may find a school close to the heart of NYC if the school doesn’t have your major than no matter how cheap it is it isn’t worth it!
Why does it have to be NYC? What’s the major? Why not philly? Why not Temple, where you would get instate tuition?
Run your NPC numbers on Wagner, a hidden gem on Staten Island.
I’d check out Manhattanville College, Manhattan College, SUNY Purchase, Iona College, Sarah Lawrence College, Concordia College, College of Mount St. Vincent, St. Joseph’s College, and Pace University. Though these aren’t necessarily cheap schools, some of them can be more affordable if you’d qualify for merit and/or financial aid.
CUNY has a gazillion majors. No issues there. the one major I’ve fund lacking is like astronomy . . .
As for why NYC – because it’s amazing and it has the connections and atmosphere clearly that the OP desires.
The other cities are great too. Love Philly, but OP wants NYC.
The other people here have mentioned most of the colleges in NYC but CUNY is the lowest cost school IMHO even with OOS tuition. YMMV depending on your financial circumstances. Wagner is a hidden gem as are several that @Jared1123 mentioned.
@Dustyfeathers the issue with CUNYs is the OP said this tuition is expensive for them, and that’s why I’m saying Philly is a comparable affordable option since they are a PA resident looking for an urban campus with lots of opportunities. Doesn’t matter if OP “wants” NYC if it’s unaffordable.
Why the pressing need to be in NYC? where COL is very high for a student. Can you not wait until after graduation to move here?