Applied Mathematics at CUNY New York City College of Technology

Similar applied math programs in New York produce first-year earnings around $55,000, which puts City Tech's estimated outcome right at the state median but below the $61,000 national benchmark. For a CUNY school serving predominantly working-class students (55% receive Pell grants), that gap matters less than the debt picture: an estimated $19,000 represents a manageable 0.34 ratio to first-year earnings. Other New York programs carry slightly higher debt loads while producing similar earnings, suggesting City Tech may offer relative affordability within the state's public system.

The challenge is that applied mathematics outcomes vary wildly across New York institutions—from Columbia's $92,000 to Farmingdale State's $44,000—and we're working with estimates here rather than City Tech's actual track record. The suppressed data means too few graduates have been tracked to establish this program's specific performance. That uncertainty cuts both ways: the program could outperform these estimates if it's successfully placing graduates in New York's financial or tech sectors, or underperform if students struggle to compete with graduates from higher-ranked programs.

The modest debt load provides some cushion for that uncertainty. Even if actual earnings fall somewhat short of estimates, a sub-$20,000 debt burden won't trap graduates in unmanageable payments. But parents should investigate placement outcomes directly with the department—where do recent graduates actually work, and what connections does the program have to employers willing to hire from a mid-tier CUNY campus?