Business Administration, Management and Operations at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Baruch's business program delivers something increasingly rare: meaningful earnings growth paired with minimal debt. Students start at $45,758—essentially matching the national median—but climb to $60,629 by year four, a 33% jump that outpaces most competitors. More importantly, graduates leave with just $12,000 in debt, less than half the state average and roughly a quarter of the national figure for business programs.

The value proposition becomes clearer when you consider the New York context. While Baruch's starting salaries sit at the 60th percentile statewide, that includes elite private schools charging substantially more. The debt advantage is decisive: graduates here owe $13,000 less than the typical New York business student while earning roughly on par with or above state medians by year four. The 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child could reasonably pay off their loans in under a year if they prioritized it—a luxury Manhattan University grads, despite their $113K salaries, don't enjoy given their likely debt loads.

For families watching their budgets, particularly the 55% of students here on Pell grants, this represents a straightforward path to the middle class without crushing debt. The earnings trajectory suggests employers value Baruch's NYC-connected network and practical training enough to provide real advancement opportunities.