Economics at CUNY Hunter College

Hunter's economics program starts graduates at just $34,580—landing in the bottom 10% of New York economics programs and the bottom 5% nationally. That's nearly $17,000 below the state median for economics degrees. But here's what matters: four years out, earnings jump 86% to reach $64,231, overtaking both state and national benchmarks. Combined with exceptionally low debt of $14,000 (less than half the typical economics graduate's burden), this creates one of the better debt-to-earnings profiles in the state.

The catch is that first year. Many Hunter economics graduates appear to take entry-level positions that don't immediately leverage their degree, then transition into stronger roles. For families who can weather that initial period—and given Hunter's affordability and 55% Pell grant enrollment, many students here need to start earning quickly—the trajectory becomes compelling. You're essentially betting on a longer runway to career launch in exchange for minimal debt.

For a New York family, the math works if your student can afford patience or has financial support for those early years. The $14,000 debt load won't become a trap, and by year four, they're earning competitively with graduates from programs that cost far more. This isn't the fast track to Wall Street that nearby Columbia or Barnard offer, but it's a viable economics degree at a fraction of the financial risk.