Computer and Information Sciences at CUNY Hunter College

Hunter College's computer science program appears positioned squarely in the middle of New York's tech education landscape. Based on comparable programs across the state, graduates likely earn around $63,000 in their first year—right at the state median but well below what elite institutions produce. The estimated $23,000 debt load is modest, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 that suggests manageable repayment for most graduates entering the field.

The gap between Hunter and top-tier programs is significant: Cornell and Barnard graduates earn nearly double in their first year. However, this comparison matters less than it might seem. Hunter serves a predominantly working-class student body (55% receive Pell grants) and charges CUNY tuition, which keeps debt low. For families seeking affordable entry into tech careers, the combination of reasonable debt and solid mid-market earnings makes practical sense, even if it won't immediately land your child at a FAANG company.

The real question is whether these state-wide estimates apply to Hunter specifically—we simply don't have this school's actual graduate outcomes. What we know is that Hunter admits just over half its applicants with strong academic credentials (average SAT of 1350), suggesting decent program quality. If the estimates hold true, your child would graduate with debt they could reasonably pay off within three to four years while building tech skills in one of the world's major tech hubs.