Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at College of Staten Island CUNY

First-year earnings of $86,226 put this program well above the national median for medical laboratory science—in fact, at the 95th percentile nationally. That's impressive on its face, but the full picture depends on estimated debt of around $21,842 from comparable New York programs, which yields a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25. What complicates the story, though, is that earnings appear to dip slightly by year four to $83,055, and within New York's competitive lab science landscape, College of Staten Island graduates land in the middle of the pack rather than at the top.

The debt picture based on peer CUNY and New York programs suggests a reasonable investment, especially given that nearly half of students here receive Pell grants. Lab science credentials typically lead to stable clinical work with decent starting pay, and this program delivers on that promise. However, the modest earnings decline over the first few years and the gap between this program and top-performing schools like CUNY York College (which reports $105,425 in first-year earnings) means there's real variation in outcomes across the city's programs.

For families weighing this option, the key question is whether $86,000 starting salary justifies the investment when neighboring programs show stronger trajectories. The low debt load makes this workable financially, but if your child has access to higher-ranked CUNY programs in the same field, those alternatives deserve serious consideration given the $15,000-$20,000 earnings differential.