CUNY Queens College
CUNY Queens College — Earnings vs Cost (vs National Average)
CUNY Queens College at a Glance
Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an 83-acre (34 ha) campus primarily located in Flushing.
1937
89 years old
$85M
$85 million
18,494
275,000 undergrad · 4,110 grad
1,693
83 acres
Prestige & value signals
Identity
How to Apply to CUNY Queens College
Official admissions page2 required
Testing policy
Recommendation letters
Is CUNY Queens College Worth It?
CUNY Queens College is one of the strongest value propositions in higher education. At $4,195/year net price and $62,763 median earnings, graduates earn 15.0× their annual cost within a decade of enrolling.
The investment pays for itself in just 0.3 years — among the fastest payback periods of any college we track.
A 56% graduation rate is a serious red flag — fewer than 6 in 10 students finish. Those who don't graduate may still carry student debt without the higher-earning credential to show for it.
Median student debt of $10,298 is manageable at just 16% of first-year post-graduation earnings.
Bottom line: CUNY Queens College delivers strong financial returns that justify the investment for most students.
How CUNY Queens College compares to peer public colleges of similar tier in NY
Ranked #1 of 39 on value score. Peers are matched by size, median earnings, SAT, and admission rate — not just geography.
| Rank | College | Value | Net price / yr | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CUNY Queens College | 100 | $4,195 | $62,763 |
| #2 | Foothill College | 100 | $7,653 | $57,072 |
| #3 | Skyline College | 100 | $1,738 | $55,702 |
| #4 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 100 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| #5 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | 100 | $3,203 | $56,195 |
| #6 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 90 | $9,492 | $59,649 |
Peer group: public colleges within ±60% of CUNY Queens College's student body size and within a similar academic tier (SAT ±80, admit rate ±10pp, median earnings ±25%). 9 in NY.
Best Programs at CUNY Queens College
The highest-earning program at CUNY Queens College is Computer Science at $51,100/year (4 years after graduation). The lowest is Fine and Studio Arts at $17,000/year.
Your major matters more than the school name — a Computer Science graduate from CUNY Queens College earns $51,100, while a Fine and Studio Arts graduate earns $17,000. That's more than a 2× difference from the same institution. Choose your program carefully — it's the single biggest lever you control.
Debt also varies by program: Computer Science graduates carry $8,623 in median debt vs. $10,500 for Fine and Studio Arts.
Return on Investment
Estimated 4-Year Cost
Based on $4,195/yr net price × 4 years
Earnings Premium
vs. national average of $53,787/yr
Payback Period
Time to recoup the total cost through higher earnings
10-Year Net Gain
Median earnings over 10 years minus total cost of attendance
Programs & Earnings by Major
Graduate earnings data by field of study (4 years after graduation):
| Major | Earnings (4yr) | Earnings (1yr) | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $51,100 | $51,100 | $8,623 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $37,800 | $37,800 | $12,437 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $37,600 | $37,600 | N/A |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $36,800 | $36,800 | $14,075 |
| International Business | $35,500 | $35,500 | N/A |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | $35,100 | $35,100 | N/A |
| Economics | $32,400 | $32,400 | $13,000 |
| History | $32,200 | $32,200 | $10,500 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $31,900 | $31,900 | $7,792 |
| Mathematics | $31,400 | $31,400 | N/A |
| Political Science and Government | $30,100 | $30,100 | $9,500 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $29,400 | $29,400 | $12,368 |
| Psychology, General | $29,300 | $29,300 | $9,000 |
| Sociology | $28,800 | $28,800 | $12,150 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | $28,400 | $28,400 | $12,500 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | $28,200 | $28,200 | $15,188 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $27,100 | $27,100 | $11,250 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | $26,200 | $26,200 | N/A |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $25,700 | $25,700 | $12,482 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $25,500 | $25,500 | $10,500 |
| Anthropology | $23,700 | $23,700 | N/A |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $22,500 | $22,500 | N/A |
| Design and Applied Arts | $21,200 | $21,200 | $14,375 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $19,100 | $19,100 | N/A |
| Biology, General | $17,200 | $17,200 | N/A |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $17,000 | $17,000 | $10,500 |
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Quick Facts
- Institution Type
- public
- Location
- Queens, NY
- Student Body
- 12,550 students
- Admission Rate
- 64%
- Graduation Rate
- 56%
- Net Price (Annual)
- $4,195
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $62,763
- Median Student Debt
- $10,298