CUNY LaGuardia Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
CUNY LaGuardia Community College charges a net price of $6,120/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $12,240. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,653, 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 LaGuardia Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #130 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) | $6,120/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $12,240 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,653 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$6,707/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $7,407 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$146,380 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on CUNY LaGuardia Community College's own numbers. Net price $6,120 × 2 years = $12,240 total. Median earnings $41,653 fall $6,707 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 $12,240 bill in about 1.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do CUNY LaGuardia Community College students graduate with?
A median $7,407 in federal loans among completers, or 18% of the $41,653 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of CUNY LaGuardia Community College students graduate?
24% finish their degree — 76% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $12,240 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $51,000 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is CUNY LaGuardia Community College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $6,120 net price runs $12,793 below the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, and $25,586 less across the full degree.