CUNY Hunter College
New York, New York · Public · 53.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 83/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
CUNY Hunter College, a flagship public university in Manhattan, scores 83 (Strong Value tier). The financial setup is extraordinary: in-state tuition of $7,382, average net price of just $2,984, and a four-year total cost of only $11,936. Average earnings six years out are $39,300, ramping powerfully to a median $63,163 by year ten. Median federal debt is just $11,000, producing a 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 96). Earnings premium of 2.36 (sub-score 100) is exceptional and reflects how much value graduates extract from the New York metro labor market relative to the school's negligible cost. Payback period of 5.4 years (sub-score 92) is genuinely fast. Where the score gets dragged down: completion rate of 56.9% (sub-score 54) and 64.9% three-year repayment rate (sub-score 26) reflect Hunter's heavily working-class commuter population (55.9% Pell) where life circumstances drive attrition more than academic underqualification. Students who finish - particularly in nursing, computer science, accounting, or any of the dozen+ programs grading A or B+ - have strong payback math. The institutional issue is persistence, not value or quality.
CUNY Hunter College scores in the top 11% of the schools we score, with strong earnings outcomes relative to cost.
CUNY Hunter College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,382/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,332/yr |
| Average net price | $2,984/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $11,936 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $63,163 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $11,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $117 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 16,289 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,382/year ($15,332/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $2,984/year, or roughly $11,936 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $1,029/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $12,259/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $11,000, which works out to about $117 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,300) and comes to 0.28, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $1,029 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $1,935 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,003 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $8,810 |
| $110,001+ | $12,259 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay just $1,029 net annually - effectively free. NY state TAP plus Pell covers the entire cost for low-income students. Low-income students who finish at Hunter capture the full earnings premium with virtually zero borrowing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $6,003 per year, about $24,012 over four years. The aid grading is reasonable. Combined with strong post-graduation earnings, this is excellent value for working middle-class New Yorkers.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
For high-income NYC families, Hunter is genuinely competitive with private schools costing 4-5x more, particularly for ambitious students targeting graduate or professional school.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at CUNY Hunter College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $59,149 | B+ |
| Human Biology | $83,420 | B+ |
| Computer Science | $102,321 | A |
| Biology | $59,204 | B |
| Registered Nursing | $116,361 | A |
| Sociology | $57,965 | B |
| English Language and Literature | $55,759 | B |
| Communication and Media Studies | $55,182 | B |
| International Relations | $62,040 | B+ |
| Economics | $69,920 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Hunter's clearest ROI superstar: 176 graduates with $103,692 in 1-year median earnings, $116,361 at 4 years, $16,944 in median debt, and a 0.16 debt-to-earnings ratio for an A grade. NYC RN salaries are high, and Hunter's BSN graduates capture that premium with extraordinarily low debt.
Computer Science
Computer Science produces 292 graduates - a large cohort - with $76,747 starting, $102,321 at 4 years, just $8,250 in median debt, and a 0.11 debt-to-earnings ratio for an A grade.
Psychology
Psychology produces 641 graduates - the largest cohort - with $31,706 starting, $59,149 at 4 years, $10,923 in median debt, and a 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B+ grade. The strong 4-year earnings ramp reflects students pursuing master's-level licensure. Even before graduate study, the modest debt load makes the math workable.
Human Biology
Human Biology produces 401 graduates with $31,891 starting, $83,420 at 4 years, $11,000 in median debt, and a 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B+ grade. The dramatic 1-to-4-year earnings jump reflects pre-med, dental, and PA students who continue to graduate school and emerge into clinical roles. Hunter's pre-health pipeline is genuinely strong.
Accounting
Accounting produces 71 graduates with $54,617 starting, $75,803 at 4 years, $11,070 in median debt, and a 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio for an A grade. NYC's accounting and finance labor market provides direct entry to Big Four and corporate roles, and the CPA pathway gives graduates structural earnings lift. Outstanding ROI.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 66.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How CUNY Hunter College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 53.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 550-720 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 550-700 |
| Enrollment | 16,289 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,726 |
Hunter admits 53.8% of applicants. ACT data is not reported (most NYC applicants take SAT). The 56.9% completion rate substantially understates academic performance because it captures life-circumstance attrition in a heavily working-class commuter population. Prepared students who can stay enrolled hit strong outcomes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Hunter College (this school) | 83 | $2,984 | $63,163 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 92 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| University of Connecticut | 85 | $25,097 | $73,997 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 83 | $22,383 | $71,631 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | 81 | $3,103 | $60,752 |
| University of North Florida | 78 | $10,154 | $56,343 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate of 55.9% indicates a heavily working-class, first-generation, and immigrant-heritage student body. Enrollment is 16,289. The fit case is exceptionally strong for students targeting nursing, computer science, accounting, or pre-health pathways - particularly first-generation students for whom Hunter's combination of low cost and high outcome ceiling is genuinely transformational. The commuter culture works for working students; less so for those wanting traditional residential experience.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, CUNY Hunter College pays off. You'd pay about $2,984 a year after aid ($11,936 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $63,163 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5.4 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $11,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
CUNY Hunter College: Common Questions
Is CUNY Hunter College worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students CUNY Hunter College pays off. It scores 83/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $2,984 a year after aid ($11,936 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $63,163 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 5.4 years to earn back.
How much does CUNY Hunter College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $2,984 a year, or roughly $11,936 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do CUNY Hunter College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $63,163 ten years after enrolling, roughly $21,363 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off CUNY Hunter College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 5.4 years for CUNY Hunter College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do CUNY Hunter College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $11,000, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28. In our view that is very manageable: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
What is the graduation rate at CUNY Hunter College?
The six-year graduation rate is 56.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.