Mathematics at CUNY Graduate School and University Center

A CUNY bachelor's in mathematics with estimated debt around $19,450 against first-year earnings near $45,880 suggests a manageable financial starting point—though these figures come from similar programs statewide rather than tracked outcomes from this specific Graduate Center campus. The 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio implies you'd owe roughly five months of gross income, which is reasonable for a four-year degree. However, the estimated $45,880 salary sits below the national median of $48,772 for math graduates, and it's dramatically lower than what top-tier New York programs produce: Cornell math majors start around $87,251, and even Fordham graduates earn $73,204.

That gap matters because mathematics is typically a high-return major. The modest estimated earnings here—whether reflecting the actual outcomes or just the limitations of peer-program data—raise questions about whether this particular program channels students toward lower-paying teaching or administrative roles rather than quantitative finance, tech, or data science positions that drive up salaries at elite institutions. The relatively small graduate cohorts (hence the suppressed data) might also mean fewer recruitment pipelines or alumni networks in high-paying sectors.

Given the uncertainty in both the earnings and debt estimates, focus on what the program explicitly offers: faculty expertise, placement support, and access to New York's job market. If this degree opens doors to graduate school or competitive sectors, it could outperform these peer-based projections. If it doesn't, you're looking at a longer payback timeline than mathematics degrees typically require.