CUNY Brooklyn College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
CUNY Brooklyn College, founded in 1930, is a public liberal arts college in New York City, known for its affordability and strong programs in education, business, and the arts. Ranked among the top public colleges in the North, it combines academic rigor with urban accessibility.
The campus features a modern library, performance spaces, and research labs. Its diverse student body and Brooklyn location provide rich cultural and professional opportunities, with strong ties to NYC industries.
CUNY Brooklyn College Acceptance Rate
At 53.7%, admission to CUNY Brooklyn College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Brooklyn College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Recommended Academic Profile
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
CUNY Brooklyn College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for CUNY Brooklyn College is September 15 for Spring Priority applicants, with additional plans listed below.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 38 days left — Spring Priority💡 The scholarship deadline (FAFSA/TAP Priority: 2027/02/15) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Brooklyn College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Brooklyn College is 3.42. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.12–3.42 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.62–3.82.Brooklyn College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Applications go through the unified CUNY system, not a Brooklyn-specific portal.
- Test-optional policy in effect through spring 2027; absence of scores cannot be used to deny admission.
- SEEK program offers a distinct admissions and support pathway for economically eligible NY State residents.
- CUNY updated its policy in March 2026 to recognize accredited U.S. online high school diplomas under NY State Senate bill S6705.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Brooklyn College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on CUNY Brooklyn College's verified institutional data
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
CUNY Brooklyn College (Brooklyn College) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Brooklyn College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Brooklyn College Without SAT or ACT?
CUNY Brooklyn College Average SAT Score: 1310
The average SAT score of admitted students at CUNY Brooklyn College is 1310 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
This average is solidly above the national mean, without being in elite-tier territory.
If your score is below 1140, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Brooklyn College. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 645 | 580 | 710 |
| SAT Reading | 635 | 560 | 710 |
| SAT Composite | 1310 | 1140 | 1420 |
Below 1140, you're behind most admitted students; at 1420 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1300
Can I get into CUNY Brooklyn College (Brooklyn College) with a 1400 SAT?
A 1400 SAT puts you ahead of most of Brooklyn College's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Brooklyn College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Brooklyn College isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Brooklyn College admission runs through the unified CUNY application (or CUNY Fast App for NYC public school seniors), which lets you rank multiple CUNY campuses in one submission. Research and rank your CUNY preferences carefully in the same application - a mis-prioritized ranking can affect which campus offers you a seat first.
Brooklyn College's SEEK program provides admission and financial/academic support specifically for economically disadvantaged New York State residents, with defined income eligibility guidelines updated annually. If you're borderline on Brooklyn's regular admission standards but meet SEEK's income criteria, apply through SEEK explicitly rather than the general track - it's a distinct, additional admissions pathway, not just a scholarship.
CUNY's test-optional policy runs through spring 2027, and Brooklyn College states explicitly that the absence of scores cannot be used to deny admission. If your GPA and coursework rigor are strong but your test scores are not, skip submission - but discuss the decision with your counselor first, since strong scores can still help for competitive programs like the coordinated B.A.?M.D.
As of March 2026, CUNY newly recognizes accredited U.S.-based online high school diplomas under NY State Senate bill S6705 - a real, recent policy change. If you completed an online or non-traditional high school program, confirm your specific program's accreditation status against CUNY's current criteria before assuming it will or won't be accepted.
Because Brooklyn College accepts applications through the shared CUNY system, applicants sometimes treat the application as generic and forget campus-specific supplemental requirements (like SEEK eligibility documentation or coordinated-program essays for B.A.?M.D.). Confirm Brooklyn College's specific supplemental requirements directly - don't assume the base CUNY application alone covers every program's requirements.
Brooklyn College Profile
Is a Brooklyn College Degree Worth It?
Whether Brooklyn College is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $49,400, with a graduate unemployment rate of 5.38%.
How much does a degree from Brooklyn College Cost?
The sticker price is $13,573/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $2,943.
56.4% of students receive a Pell Grant and 7% take federal loans at Brooklyn College. File your FAFSA early and list Brooklyn College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Brooklyn College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $60,752. That's about 50% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than CUNY Brooklyn College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
| Thomas Aquinas College | Santa Paula, CA | 1277 | 29 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | New London, CT | 1290 | 28 |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | 1297 | 29 |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | 1277 | 27 |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland, FL | 1263 | 28 |
| Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA | 1296 | 29 |
| Mercer University | Macon, GA | 1280 | 28 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as CUNY Brooklyn College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn, AL | 1318 | 28 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 1313 | 29 |
| Rollins College | Winter Park, FL | 1304 | 29 |
| University of Georgia | Athens, GA | 1301 | 29 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than CUNY Brooklyn College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | 1353 | 31 |
| University of Denver | Denver, CO | 1344 | 31 |
Degree Programs at Brooklyn College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Brooklyn College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at CUNY Brooklyn College run about $60,752 a year.
At about $13,573 a year, CUNY Brooklyn College is on the more affordable end.
With 56.4% of CUNY Brooklyn College students on a Pell Grant, need-based aid odds here are strong. An early FAFSA filing naming CUNY Brooklyn College is the key move.
At 53.7%, CUNY Brooklyn College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at CUNY Brooklyn College average a 3.42 GPA.
CUNY Brooklyn College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.12 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.02, CUNY Brooklyn College becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at CUNY Brooklyn College — aim above 1310, ideally within the 1140–1420 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for CUNY Brooklyn College is September 15 for Spring Priority applicants.
The application fee is 65. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is FAFSA/TAP Priority: 2027/02/15. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
