At our college in Harlem, why do so many CCNY students come from Queens?By Magdalene Castro.City College is located in Manhattan, but guess which borough most students come from?“I definitely think Manhattan,” says Nazma Akhter, 21, a biology major.Wrong. According to City Facts, a database of statistics about CCNY, more of our students are from Queens than Manhattan. “I wouldn’t have guessed that,“ says Akhter. “I’m from Queens and barely know any students that live here, so that’s new and surprising.”As of fall 2009, the latest numbers available, here’s where students at City come from:
- Queens 23%
- Manhattan 20.1%
- Brooklyn 18.0%
- The Bronx 16.9%
- Staten Island 1.7%.
Queens has plenty of colleges--Queens College and York College, plus, two community colleges, LaGuardia and Queensborough. With all of these schools in their own borough, why are Queens residents commuting to City College instead?“After visiting a few campuses I felt that I’d get a better education and college experience here at City,” says Angelica Barrios, a 20-year-old Queens resident who’s majoring in biology.Adds Jessica Wang, also from Queens: “I’m an engineering major. I personally don’t think another CUNY offers a better engineering program than City, and that’s why I’m here.”What about the travel time? “The commuting takes me about three hours,” says Wang, 20, ”But it’s worth it.”