Social Sciences at CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College's social sciences program serves a predominantly middle-class student body (56% on Pell grants) at what appears to be a reasonable cost. Based on comparable programs across New York, graduates typically earn around $35,800 in their first year—right at the state median for social sciences bachelor's degrees and just shy of the $36,300 national benchmark. The estimated $22,100 in debt comes in below both state and national medians for this field, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 that suggests manageable repayment.

The challenge is context: New York's social sciences programs span an enormous range, from CUNY's Graduate School ($54,300) to programs clustered in the mid-to-upper $30,000s. Brooklyn College appears positioned in the middle tier, with similar outcomes to NYU but trailing SUNY Old Westbury and John Jay by several thousand dollars. For a CUNY school with competitive admissions (54% acceptance, 1310 SAT average), this represents solid value—you're getting respectable outcomes without the debt burden that typically comes with private alternatives.

The real question is career direction. Social sciences degrees are versatile but rarely translate directly to high-paying first jobs. If your child plans graduate school or needs a few years to establish themselves professionally, that sub-$25,000 debt load becomes a significant advantage. If they're expecting immediate financial independence, peer programs suggest first-year earnings will cover basics but won't provide much cushion.