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CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY 13,060 Undergrads 55.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$13,643
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$3,830
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,763
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$3,830
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$62,763
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate55.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time78.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
68.5%
SAT Avg
1,210
SAT Reading
25th: 540-75th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 560-75th: 660
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
+$538k
+$142k
+$54k
Median Cost$4k/yr
+$525k
+$128k
+$40k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$489k
+$93k
+$5k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$4k/yr
41
291%
Full Cost$14k/yr
59
10%
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 Return130%
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 Return4%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$10,822
Earnings (5yr)
$69,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$13,421
Earnings (5yr)
$56,381
Lifetime Value Added
-$817
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,368
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,831
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$10,301
Earnings (5yr)
$113,582
Lifetime Value Added
+$431k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$14,250
Earnings (5yr)
$45,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
$12,684
Earnings (5yr)
$55,785
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,566
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1603
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$7,295
Earnings (5yr)
$64,765
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$7,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$10,750
Earnings (2yr)
$27,295
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,085
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,545
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,077
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,641
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,249
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$8,298
Earnings (5yr)
$74,200
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,283
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$10,457
Earnings (5yr)
$63,762
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$9,623
Earnings (5yr)
$56,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,850
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$12,397
Earnings (5yr)
$59,743
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,522
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$15,178
Earnings (5yr)
$69,509
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
BachCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,945
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Urban Studies/Affairs
BachCIP: 4512
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,656
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$14,925
Earnings (5yr)
$83,222
Lifetime Value Added
+$288k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$33,941
Earnings (5yr)
$87,663
Lifetime Value Added
+$326k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$65,797
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
Library Science and Administration
MastCIP: 2501
Median Debt
$17,509
Earnings (5yr)
$69,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$21,433
Earnings (5yr)
$85,138
Lifetime Value Added
+$305k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,942
Lifetime Value Added
+$226k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$19,033
Earnings (5yr)
$75,888
Lifetime Value Added
+$225k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$19,100
Earnings (5yr)
$89,280
Lifetime Value Added
+$340k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$19,526
Earnings (5yr)
$85,929
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
Urban Studies/Affairs
MastCIP: 4512
Median Debt
$27,792
Earnings (5yr)
$72,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Graduate Certificates
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
Gr-CertCIP: 1302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,232
Lifetime Value Added
+$351k
Educational Administration and Supervision
Gr-CertCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$139,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$883k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Gr-CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,636
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
Gr-CertCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
Gr-CertCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$286k
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.