International Relations and National Security Studies at CUNY City College

CUNY City College's International Relations and National Security Studies program tells an unusual story: a rough start that transforms into solid mid-career performance. That first-year salary of $30,627 sits well below both the national and New York state medians, but the nearly doubling of earnings by year four to $59,863 suggests graduates are leveraging their degrees effectively once they establish themselves in the field.

The debt picture makes this trajectory more palatable. At $13,337, graduates leave with 38% less debt than the typical International Relations student nationwide, and significantly less than New York's state median. This manageable debt load means those early lean years don't become financially crippling—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 is quite reasonable even with that initial low salary. Given that 60% of City College students receive Pell grants, this low-debt pathway into a field often associated with expensive private colleges has real value.

The catch is understanding what drives that dramatic earnings jump. If it requires graduate school, additional credentials, or simply time to break into competitive federal or international positions, families need to plan for those early years accordingly. But for a student who can weather a modest starting salary—perhaps while living at home in New York—this represents a cost-effective entry point into a field where the long-term prospects look considerably better than the initial ones.