Computer Science at College of Staten Island CUNY

College of Staten Island's Computer Science program starts graduates at just $45,290—barely 60% of what typical computer science majors earn nationally and well below New York's $74,515 median. Among the 46 New York schools offering this program, it ranks in just the 10th percentile. This matters because your child could attend SUNY schools like Stony Brook or Binghamton within the same state system and likely see substantially higher starting salaries.

However, there's a compelling turnaround story here. By year four, graduates reach $88,544—a 96% jump that suggests many eventually break into solid tech roles, even if the on-campus recruiting pipelines lag behind more prestigious programs. The debt load of $19,046 is manageable (lower than both state and national averages), which provides runway for that career trajectory to develop. With nearly half the students receiving Pell grants, this program clearly serves as an access point for first-generation and lower-income students entering tech.

The question is whether waiting four years to reach a competitive salary is acceptable when other CUNY schools might offer faster trajectories. If your child needs to work immediately after graduation or has significant living expenses in expensive New York City, those first few years at under $50,000 will be genuinely difficult. But for students who can navigate the early career challenges—perhaps through networking, continued skill-building, or graduate school—the relatively low debt makes this a low-risk path into computer science, even if it's not the fastest one.