Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at College of Staten Island CUNY

A $66,506 starting salary in electrical engineering places this program in a troubling position—it lands in just the 5th percentile nationally for this major, falling well short of the $77,710 typical graduate earns. That's a significant gap for a field where engineering degrees usually command premium pay, and it's particularly concerning when peer programs across New York State average nearly $78,000. Even within the state, this program sits at just the 40th percentile, trailing far behind institutions like Cornell ($100,516) and even mid-tier options like Syracuse ($84,494). For a program serving a heavily Pell-eligible student body (49%), these earnings outcomes raise real questions about return on investment.

The estimated debt load of around $25,125—based on comparable programs in New York—appears manageable on paper, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38 that suggests graduates could theoretically pay off loans in under five years. But this calculation assumes earnings will stay on track, which the national and state comparisons suggest may be optimistic. The concerning reality is that these graduates are starting nearly $11,500 behind their peers at other New York engineering programs right out of the gate.

Parents should understand that while College of Staten Island offers an accessible path to an engineering degree, the earnings data suggests graduates face an uphill climb compared to those from other programs in the state. That earnings gap—roughly $11,000-$12,000 annually—compounds over time and could significantly impact long-term financial outcomes.