Mathematics at CUNY Queens College

Queens College's mathematics program sits in the bottom 10% statewide for early earnings—$31,747 in year one compared to New York's $45,880 median—but something remarkable happens by year four. Earnings more than double to nearly $64,000, surpassing both the state median and placing graduates ahead of programs at NYU and St. Lawrence. This explosive 101% growth is unusual for math degrees and suggests graduates are successfully transitioning into technical roles that recognize their quantitative skills, just on a delayed timeline.

The saving grace here is exceptionally low debt at $11,745, roughly half the state average and among the lowest 5% nationally for math programs. Even with that difficult first year, the debt burden remains manageable at just 37% of initial earnings. For context, top-tier programs like Cornell and RPI produce higher starting salaries but often come with significantly steeper price tags for out-of-state or private tuition.

The real question is whether your student can weather that challenging first year financially. If they're planning to live at home in Queens or have family support through that initial period, this becomes a compelling value play—affordable CUNY tuition leading to solid mid-career earnings. But students expecting immediate financial independence after graduation should understand they're looking at entry-level work initially, with the payoff coming as they gain experience and pivot into better-compensated quantitative roles.