How to get into CUNY Brooklyn College
How to get into CUNY Brooklyn College: the CUNY application, Macaulay pathway, and the BA/MD with SUNY Downstate
58.4%
Acceptance rate
$7,452
In-state cost
$15,402
Out-of-state cost
What makes CUNY Brooklyn College admissions different
Brooklyn College is a CUNY senior college in Midwood, Brooklyn, with around 10,500 undergraduates. Acceptance rate around 58%. Brooklyn College has one of the most respected accounting programs at any public university, the BA/MD program with SUNY Downstate (highly competitive), and a vibrant arts and humanities tradition. The CUNY common application means you can list Brooklyn as one of multiple CUNY colleges.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Apply through the CUNY application by the CUNY priority deadline (typically February 1 for fall). List Brooklyn College among your CUNY choices.
- 2.
Submit transcripts. Brooklyn College is test-optional for most majors.
- 3.
Apply to the Macaulay Honors College if your stats qualify. Macaulay covers full tuition plus an academic stipend.
- 4.
Apply to the Brooklyn College Honors Academy (separate from Macaulay) on the application.
- 5.
BA/MD aspirants: the BA/MD with SUNY Downstate is a very competitive eight-year combined program — separate application within the Brooklyn admission process.
- 6.
New York State residents: file FAFSA and TAP. Many students attend tuition-free with Pell + TAP + Excelsior.
- 7.
Accounting applicants: Brooklyn's Murray Koppelman School of Business has strong CPA pass rates and major-specific requirements.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Listing CUNY colleges in arbitrary order. Your preference order matters.
- ✕
Skipping Macaulay when your stats qualify. It's the most generous CUNY award.
- ✕
Missing the BA/MD application step. The combined program with SUNY Downstate requires separate materials and is competitive.
- ✕
Missing the FAFSA + TAP filing window.
The specifics for CUNY Brooklyn College
Application deadlines
- CUNY Priority DeadlineFebruary 1, 2026Single CUNY application; list Brooklyn College among your choices
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Murray Koppelman School of Business
Strong accounting program with high CPA pass rates.
BA/MD with SUNY Downstate
Eight-year combined BA/MD program with SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Highly competitive, separate application within Brooklyn admission.
Notable scholarships at CUNY Brooklyn College
Macaulay Honors CollegeFull tuition + academic stipend
CUNY-system honors program available at participating CUNY colleges including Brooklyn.
What graduates actually do
Brooklyn College has long been called the 'Harvard of the Poor' for the extraordinary academic and economic mobility outcomes it has produced for first-generation, immigrant, and working-class students. Alumni include numerous Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and federal judges. The college is particularly strong in the sciences, education, and the arts, with alumni populating New York City's professional class across generations.
Notable alumni
- Bernie Sanders — U.S. Senator (attended)
- Barbra Streisand — Singer/actor (attended)
- Paul Auster — Novelist
- Frank McCourt — Pulitzer Prize-winning author
- Sam Levenson — Humorist
- Eric Adams — NYC Mayor
Transfer pathway
60% transfer acceptance rate
Brooklyn College is fully integrated into CUNY Pathways, which guarantees credit transfer across the CUNY system. AA/AS graduates from any CUNY community college are guaranteed admission to a CUNY senior college, often Brooklyn College. Kingsborough Community College, located in Brooklyn, has the most direct articulation. Minimum 2.0 GPA for most majors; honors programs and selective majors require higher.
Articulation partners
Kingsborough Community College · Borough of Manhattan Community College · LaGuardia Community College · Queensborough Community College · Bronx Community College
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App. Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
Brooklyn College is a target for New York State residents in the 3.3+ GPA range who want a CUNY senior college with strong accounting, arts, and pre-med programs. The cost math (Pell + TAP + Excelsior) makes it among the lowest-cost college experiences in the country. Macaulay is the high-merit option for top applicants.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.