CUNY Hostos Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
CUNY Hostos Community College charges a net price of $5,297/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $10,594. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,485, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, CUNY Hostos Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #138 of 203 New York colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $5,297/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $10,594 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,485 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,875/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $8,442 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$168,094 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on CUNY Hostos Community College's own numbers. Net price $5,297 × 2 years = $10,594 total. Median earnings $40,485 fall $7,875 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $10,594 bill in about 1.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do CUNY Hostos Community College students graduate with?
A median $8,442 in federal loans among completers, or 21% of the $40,485 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of CUNY Hostos Community College students graduate?
16% finish their degree — 84% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $10,594 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $66,213 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is CUNY Hostos Community College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $5,297 net price runs $13,616 below the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, and $27,232 less across the full degree.