The cost of college in New York — and what it pays back
Across the 203 New York institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $18,913/yr, $2,011 above the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $50,963 ten years after entry (above the $43,549 national median), and 107 of the 203 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How New York's 203 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | $3,033 | $75,971 | 0.4 yrs |
| United States Merchant Marine Academy | $6,174 | $90,610 | 0.6 yrs |
| CUNY Hunter College | $2,984 | $63,163 | 0.8 yrs |
| CUNY City College | $3,776 | $66,039 | 0.9 yrs |
| St Paul's School of Nursing-Queens | $26,315 | $104,403 | 0.9 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | $2,840 | $22,432 | no payback |
| CUNY Hunter College | $2,984 | $63,163 | 0.8 yrs |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | $3,033 | $75,971 | 0.4 yrs |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | $3,103 | $60,752 | 1 yrs |
| CUNY Lehman College | $3,148 | $58,013 | 1.3 yrs |
How many New York colleges actually pay for themselves?
107 of 203 — 53% of the New York institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do New York graduates out-earn the national median?
New York graduates report a median $50,963 ten years after entry, $7,415 above the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.