Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate and Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York | CUNY Graduate Center
Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate and Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York | CUNY Graduate Center
City University of New York (CUNY) senior colleges have been prominently featured in the Wall Street Journal's latest ranking of the nation’s best-value colleges. Baruch College, a CUNY institution, secured the top position on the list. Other CUNY colleges that made it to the top ten include Hunter College, City College, Brooklyn College, and Queens College.
Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez expressed his satisfaction with the rankings: “We are delighted but not surprised to see that CUNY colleges have once again been recognized for their unmatched ability to provide a high-quality education and degrees that quickly and effectively pay for themselves.” He emphasized that CUNY’s combination of quality and affordability continues to help students from diverse backgrounds achieve their goals.
The Wall Street Journal's ranking methodology involves assessing the “net price” of attending a college against the value added to graduates’ median salaries compared to those of high school graduates. The calculation starts with CUNY’s annual tuition fee of $6,900 for in-state students at senior colleges and includes other costs such as room, board, books, supplies, grants, scholarships, and financial aid.
In addition to this recognition by the Wall Street Journal, five CUNY schools were also listed among Forbes magazine’s “The 25 Colleges With The Highest Payoff,” highlighting institutions offering the best return on investment (ROI). These schools included York College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College, and College of Staten Island.
Both rankings incorporated research from public policy think tank Third Way. In 2022, Third Way identified institutions enrolling a significant proportion of low- and moderate-income students and evaluated them based on how quickly students could recoup their educational expenses.
Founded in 1847 as the first free public institution of higher education in the United States, CUNY is now the largest urban public university system in the country. It comprises seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges, and seven graduate or professional institutions across New York City's five boroughs. Serving over 233,000 undergraduate and graduate students annually and awarding approximately 50,000 degrees each year, CUNY plays a crucial role in promoting social mobility within New York City. More than 80 percent of its graduates remain in New York State post-graduation.
To date, CUNY alumni and faculty have received numerous prestigious accolades including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius grants.” The university remains committed to providing high-quality public education accessible to all students regardless of their financial background.
For more information about CUNY's programs and initiatives, visit https://www.cuny.edu.
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