NYC Gazette

CUNY Schools Also Dominate WSJ’s ‘Best Value’ Rankings

A major focus of CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez’s tenure has been connecting as many students as possible with paid internships and working with faculty and industry partners to hone curricula that provide skills aligning with industry needs. The Chancellor recently spoke about the University’s success in these areas with the Wall Street Journal for an article that also named five CUNY colleges in the top 10 of The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “Best Value” ranking.

For the second year in a row, the paper named Baruch College as the top value school in the country. Hunter College, City College, Brooklyn College, and Queens College were named, respectively, second, fourth, fifth, and eighth. Schools were ranked according to how quickly a degree can pay for itself based on the increase in salary it offers after graduation; all of the CUNY schools in the top 10 offered an “investment-recoup” time of 7 months or less.

The text of the article is below and the published piece can be viewed here.

​​The Top U.S. Colleges Offering the Best Value for 2025

These colleges put students on lucrative career paths and keep costs comparatively low, according to the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings

By Kevin McAllister

For the second straight year, Baruch College offers students and families the best value of any university in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings.

All five of the City University of New York colleges included in this year’s rankings landed in the top 10 for value, including three more in the top five: No. 2 Hunter College, No. 4 City College and No. 5 Brooklyn College. Public colleges dominated the upper part of the list, holding 17 of the first 25 slots.

No. 3 Princeton University and No. 6 Stanford University, two of only three private schools in the top 10 on the value list, also placed highly in overall rankings, claiming first and third places respectively.

(You can see our full Best Value ranking as well as our overall ranking of best colleges in the U.S., with links to rankings focused on student experiences and schools’ impact on graduate salaries and social mobility here along with methodology behind them all.)

The schools offering best value are those that keep costs low while increasing earning potential for graduates. Our best-value calculation estimates how quickly a degree from each college can pay for itself based on salary boost it offers its students after graduation.

To do that calculation we first estimated price of four-year education for students who receive federal financial aid using each college’s average net price—a figure considering overall cost including tuition fees room board books supplies minus grants scholarships—then looked at difference between actual early-career earnings college graduates comparable high-school graduates see how long it takes salary premium equal all-in costs.

The CUNY Schools

At top-ranked Baruch median salary graduates ten eleven years after enrollment $45K more annually than comparable high-school graduate meaning takes less than four months cover average four-year net price $14K576 other CUNY schools top five doesn’t take much longer Hunter City Colleges just under five months break even less half year Brooklyn total eighteen five hundred ranked colleges this year have estimated investment-recoup time under one year within two-year window one hundred thirty-one more colleges.

CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez spent his five-year tenure emphasizing importance early career planning encouraging culture internships working faculty staff ensure highlight ways class lessons practically applied outside world.

Matos Rodríguez says some CUNY departments piloting initiative called career maps approach degree planning helps students sketch out career paths alongside traditional class scheduling effect walk out advising appointments knowing which classes need take timeline developed input employers chosen field tells when should engaging activities events internships maximize chances getting job field after graduation.

Leslie Mendez junior Baruch recently wrapped up internship Spotify advertising team worked marketing music festivals supported development ad campaign launched over summer moved New York Ecuador twenty nineteen says experience vice president marketing Marketers Baruch club campus gave clearer vision break into chosen field something wasn’t immediately apparent first-generation college student.

“I saw people being successful getting internships feel like motivated me,” Mendez says “Being surrounded by people driven makes you driven well makes want get where they are.”

Fostering kind culture getting more students into internships across CUNY system cornerstone Matos Rodríguez philosophy chancellor.

“You get work experience reflection career building social networks,” he says “It’s like financial aid money my students’ pockets at our price point paid internships particularly attractive.”

Inside classroom chancellor says worked faculty industry advisers sharpen curricula CUNY schools some cases adapting skills taught classes align industry needs others emphasizing real-life applications within existing materials even courses might not expect Matos Rodríguez used anthropology example dynamic.

“So many things teaching things students use variety settings cultural sensitivity cultural awareness,” he says “You’re still teaching indigenous cultures Amazon Valley telling student couple things learning here if go interview translate something employer value you.”

Top Ten Colleges For Value

Best Value Rank

College

Years To Pay Off Net Price

1

Baruch College CUNY

3 Months

2

Hunter College CUNY

4 Months

3

Princeton University

4 Months

4

City College Of New York CUNY

4 Months

5

Brooklyn College CUNY

5 Months

6

Stanford University

6 Months

7

University Of Florida

6 Months

8

Queens College CUNY

7 Months

9

Berea College

8 Months

10

California State University Stanislaus

9 Months

WSJ/College Pulse twenty twenty-five Best Colleges In US Ranking

Jump-starting careers:

Push university administrations made emphasize lasting value college education apparent students campuses across country amid period increased scrutiny degree utility Given average four-year net price ranked schools now nearly ninety thousand dollars seven percent increase over last year pouring resources programs technologies help jump-start graduates careers continue supporting long past first job offer

Rice University nineteen value list sixty thousand dollar salary premium earned graduates roughly equals four-year costs one many colleges now offer students alumni access online job boards used employers recruit specific universities Josh Gill senior Rice found internship healthcare distributor McKesson last summer through platforms good portion campus find internships full-time jobs same way resources don’t end graduation Rice career-development center features free career counseling alumni graduated past three years

Emphasizing long-lasting relationship degree value hardly unique Rice At University Florida ranked seven value seniors Rohit Inampudi Josh Perper both identified reasons chose university combination professional opportunities available during after college financial leg attending state school Inampudi secured software-engineering internship Citigroup past summer thanks interaction recruiter university supersize career fairs take whole arena Gators play basketball Perper business-administration major plans attend law school after graduates seen firsthand UF community lasting resource “People UF extremely helpful,” he says “They’re there ensure do well undergraduate have something locked down life too.” Perper didn’t feel need spend nearly six figures follow friends out-of-state colleges he says “If want spend kind money I’ll do master’s law school.”

Kevin McAllister Wall Street Journal reporter London reached kevin.mcallister@wsj.com