CUNY Queensborough Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
CUNY Queensborough Community College charges a net price of $4,458/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $8,916. Median earnings ten years after entry are $44,214, 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 Queensborough Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #117 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) | $4,458/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $8,916 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,214 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$4,146/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $8,600 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$91,836 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on CUNY Queensborough Community College's own numbers. Net price $4,458 × 2 years = $8,916 total. Median earnings $44,214 fall $4,146 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 $8,916 bill in about 0.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do CUNY Queensborough Community College students graduate with?
A median $8,600 in federal loans among completers, or 19% of the $44,214 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of CUNY Queensborough Community College students graduate?
24% finish their degree — 76% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $8,916 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $37,150 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is CUNY Queensborough Community College expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $4,458 net price runs $14,455 below the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, and $28,910 less across the full degree.