Social Work at New York University

At $26,837 one year after graduation, NYU's social work program starts graduates at roughly $11,000 below the New York state median—and this is after four years at one of the nation's most selective (9% admission rate) and expensive universities. While earnings do jump dramatically to $64,289 by year four, that first-year figure places graduates in the bottom 5% nationally and 25th percentile statewide. Compare this to CUNY schools like York College ($44,742) or Hunter College ($42,227), where graduates earn 60-70% more immediately after graduation, presumably with far less debt given CUNY's lower tuition.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) makes these numbers less reliable, but they suggest a troubling pattern: NYU's social work graduates may be starting in entry-level positions or locations that don't justify the investment, at least initially. The $25,000 median debt is manageable relative to that first salary, but when CUNY graduates are earning substantially more right away with likely lower debt loads, the value proposition becomes questionable. Social work is already a modestly-paid field; attending an elite private university doesn't appear to change that trajectory in ways that matter for this career path. Unless your child has compelling reasons to choose NYU specifically, the in-state public options deliver better immediate returns.