Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at College of Staten Island CUNY

The critical question here isn't whether College of Staten Island's liberal arts program is strong right out of the gate—it clearly isn't, with graduates earning just $26,000 initially. The question is whether that 72% earnings jump to $44,584 by year four, combined with impressively low debt of $13,995, creates a viable path forward. Among New York's 87 liberal arts programs, this ranks only 25th percentile for earnings, well below the state median of $36,000. Yet that debt figure—less than half the state median of $25,000—means graduates aren't drowning while they build their careers.

This is fundamentally a CUNY value proposition: accessible education for a heavily working-class student body (49% receive Pell grants) without crippling debt loads. The program sits in the 95th percentile nationally for low debt, which matters enormously when early earnings are struggling. Still, reaching $45,000 after four years isn't remarkable when top New York programs like Molloy and Cornell place graduates near $75,000 and $46,000 respectively from day one.

For families who can afford private schools or top-tier SUNYs, those options deliver better earnings trajectories. But if you're choosing between this and taking on $27,000+ in debt elsewhere for similar outcomes, CSI's affordability creates breathing room. The low debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 means graduates have flexibility to pursue graduate school or careers that prioritize mission over paycheck—luxuries that matter when you're not buried in loans.