Back to Colleges
CUNY City College
New York, NY 11,934 Undergrads 58.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$13,514
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$3,486
After Aid
Median Earnings
$66,039
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$3,486
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$66,039
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate58.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients61.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS68.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
58.1%
SAT Avg
1,340
SAT Reading
25th: 610-75th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 610-75th: 750
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$563k
+$167k
+$79k
Median Cost$3k/yr
+$551k
+$154k
+$66k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$515k
+$118k
+$30k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$3k/yr
36
529%
Full Cost$14k/yr
46
62%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return225%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return30%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,161
Lifetime Value Added
+$636k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,739
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
BachCIP: 1302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$13,382
Earnings (5yr)
$78,147
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,610
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,632
Earnings (5yr)
$65,611
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,626
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$19,529
Earnings (5yr)
$90,337
Lifetime Value Added
+$259k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$14,858
Earnings (5yr)
$59,593
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$111,970
Lifetime Value Added
+$420k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$105,797
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$12,489
Earnings (5yr)
$25,104
Lifetime Value Added
-$263k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$6,650
Earnings (5yr)
$65,099
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$91,761
Lifetime Value Added
+$269k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$11,878
Earnings (5yr)
$56,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$328
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,630
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$20,739
Earnings (5yr)
$43,881
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,856
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$12,994
Earnings (5yr)
$42,697
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$13,075
Earnings (5yr)
$54,299
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$14,060
Earnings (5yr)
$60,089
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$12,250
Earnings (5yr)
$52,617
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$13,232
Earnings (5yr)
$93,362
Lifetime Value Added
+$281k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$21,637
Earnings (5yr)
$40,856
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,191
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,398
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$10,199
Earnings (5yr)
$57,182
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$9,558
Earnings (5yr)
$64,326
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Master's Degrees
Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,751
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$115,422
Lifetime Value Added
+$565k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Fine and Studio Arts
MastCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$20,309
Lifetime Value Added
-$297k
Information Science/Studies
MastCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$84,653
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
International Relations and National Security Studies
MastCIP: 4509
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Landscape Architecture
MastCIP: 0406
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,025
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,310
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
MastCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$106,197
Lifetime Value Added
+$486k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$23,914
Earnings (5yr)
$84,866
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k
Sustainability Studies
MastCIP: 3033
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$259k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,301
Earnings (5yr)
$79,155
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,504
Earnings (5yr)
$80,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$19,917
Earnings (5yr)
$80,425
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Professional Degrees
Architecture
ProfCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,789
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.