NEW YORK (PIX11) — Nearly 10 CUNY schools topped Forbes’ list of the Top 25 colleges that turn education into success.
All schools on the list were part of the Forbes 2026 Top 500 Colleges rankings. The specific Top 25 list, with a multitude of CUNYs near the top, looks at the return on investment for graduates.
Free NY community college program: Are New Yorkers signing up?
Forbes looked at the price-to-earnings premium for each school, a calculation that shows the number of years it takes graduates to make their money back from their education. It also accounts for how many students accumulate debt and how much debt they graduate with.
Here’s where the CUNYs ranked on the list:
No. 1 – Brooklyn College
CUNY Brooklyn is the top-ranked college for ROI. According to Forbes, the median income for alumni 20 years after graduation is roughly $121,000. Tuition costs less than $10,000 per year for New Yorkers, and $15,000 for out-of-state students.
No. 2 – Hunter College
Originally founded as a teacher’s college for women, over 20,000 undergraduates enroll every year. Forbes’ model said graduates break even in just about three years.
More Local News
No. 4 – City College
The oldest-operating college in the City University of New York system, founded in 1847, has students paying well under $10,000 annually. Students graduate and regain their net costs after six months, according to the data used by Forbes. It comes in just behind Princeton University.
No. 5 – Lehman College
While Lehman’s six-year graduation rate sits at just 49%, the debt students take on sits low on the list of schools. The median salary after 20 years for graduates is $98,300 at Lehman.
No. 8 – Queens College
An astoundingly low number of graduates leave with student loans at just 7%, with the average amount at $5,928. Forbes said graduate salaries double from an average of $68,100 by mid-career.
No. 9 – John Jay College of Criminal Justice
With many students going to work in local police forces, crime-solving departments and justice systems, the average starting pay sits at around $59,000, and increases to $102,700 after 20 years. But, less than 6% of students take out loans.
No. 10 – Baruch College
While more students take out loans than at some other schools on the list, the opportunity for starting pay and career development seems to be Baruch’s calling card in the middle of Manhattan. According to Payscale, Baruch graduates average $136,700 20 years into their careers.
No. 21 – College of Staten Island
While pay is on the lower side for these graduates, so is debt. Students at CSI graduate and earn an average of $65,600 three years out of school and $116,900 20 years in. The most popular majors are psychology, biology and business, according to Forbes…