Economics at CUNY City College

CUNY City College's economics program delivers the best financial benefit in this dataset: graduates leave with just $7,300 in debt—barely a third of what typical New York economics majors owe. For a family worried about borrowing, this is transformative. You're looking at a debt load students could realistically pay off in months rather than years, even with first-year earnings that start modestly at $45,556.

The earnings tell a more nuanced story. Starting salaries lag both the national median ($51,722) and New York's median ($50,058), placing graduates around the 40th percentile statewide. That gap matters in expensive New York City, where that first-year salary translates to real budget constraints. However, earnings do grow to $50,594 by year four, narrowing the distance to typical outcomes. The real comparison point isn't Columbia or Barnard—those serve fundamentally different student populations—it's whether this degree opens doors to career progression, which the 11% earnings growth suggests it does.

The value proposition here is clear: minimal financial risk with reasonable economic mobility. City College serves predominantly Pell Grant recipients (60%), and this program proves you don't need to take on crushing debt to study economics in New York. If your child can graduate nearly debt-free and earn a middle-class salary with room for growth, that's a foundation worth building on.