Business Administration, Management and Operations at CUNY Medgar Evers College

This program's most striking feature is its remarkably low debt load—just $5,500, far below both the state median of $11,354 and the national median of $13,980. For families prioritizing affordability, Medgar Evers delivers on that front. The college serves a predominantly Pell-eligible population (57%), and keeping students' debt this low represents genuine value for working-class Brooklyn families who might otherwise struggle with educational costs.

However, the earnings story is more complicated. Starting salaries of $27,178 trail both New York's median ($29,658) and the national figure ($33,977) by significant margins, landing this program in just the 19th percentile nationally. Within New York, it performs closer to the middle of the pack at the 40th percentile, but graduates still earn substantially less than peers at Hudson Valley Community College ($38,018) or Monroe Community College ($36,476). The 46% earnings growth to $39,578 by year four helps close the gap, though that still barely reaches the national median for this degree.

With fewer than 30 graduates in the data set, these numbers could shift considerably year to year. But the core tradeoff is clear: if minimizing debt is the priority and your child can live at home in Brooklyn, this becomes a reasonable starting point. If maximizing early earning potential matters more, other CUNY or SUNY community colleges show stronger outcomes while still keeping costs manageable.